


We're Not In Sunnydale Anymore

by MoonAngel9



Series: Buffy and Vegeta crossovers [3]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dragon Ball Z
Genre: Banter, Community: crossovers100, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Fights, Obsessive Behaviour, Romance, Sparring, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-10
Updated: 2014-06-24
Packaged: 2017-11-07 10:59:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 35,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/430327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonAngel9/pseuds/MoonAngel9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Buffy fell through the portal, she landed in the Dragonball Z universe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Set after BtVS 5x22: The Gift and taking place during the Trunks through Cell Games sagas for DBZ. Goes AU after that.
> 
> Disclaimer: Any recognizable characters belong to their respective owners. I do this for fun, not for profit.
> 
> Written for the crossovers100 community. Based on prompt #22: Enemies.

**Chapter One**  
  
From the moment after she had jumped through the portal, Buffy knew she wasn’t on Sunnydale anymore. The landscape was much harsher then she was used to; it was nearly barren with almost no vegetation and she had managed to land face down in the dirt. 

 

She knew without looking up that the portal had closed shut behind her, however, she hadn’t expected to land near people. She lifted her head up and saw two strange-looking guys staring at her. She rolled over onto her back and the guy with the black spiky hair leaned forward to give her a hand up, while the other one just stared at her. She took Spiky’s hand and thanked him as she caught her bearings.

 

“Is she a friend of yours, Trunks?” Spiky asked.

 

“Buffy? Is that really you?”

 

Buffy whipped her head around to look at the one Spiky had called Trunks and asked, “How do you know me?”

 

Trunks could tell that from the way she was eying him that he had better explain—and quickly—or fists were going to start flying. He spoke calmly and said, “I was just telling Goku that I was from the future—twenty years in the future to be exact—and that there is a great threat on the horizon. Two androids will appear in three years from now on a small island and will destroy everything in their path. Nearly everyone here,” he pointed toward a group of people standing a couple of hundred yards away, “die when they first appear.” He took a deep breath and pushed a hand through his hair. “You originally showed up on my mother’s doorstep a few years from now.”

 

Buffy let out a weary sigh. She couldn’t even land someplace without landing into some sort of trouble. She squared her jaw and said, “As awful as these androids sound, they’re nothing compared to the day I’ve had today. I beat up a hell-god, I jumped through a portal to save my sister, and crash landed in the middle of who knows where.”

 

Goku placed a friendly hand on her shoulder and said, “Gosh, I guess you have had a bad day.” He grinned at Buffy and said, “If it would make you feel any better, we could spar to help you blow off some steam.”

 

“I don’t know how much that would help her, Goku. She doesn’t like to fight and train all the time like you do.”

 

Buffy raised an eyebrow at Trunks before she turned back to Goku. “Although Trunks knows a version of me in the future, he doesn’t really know me. Maybe blowing off a little steam might help.” She grinned at Goku and assumed a sparring stance.

 

Across the crater, Krillin asked, “What’s going on here?”

 

Vegeta growled before saying, “The tiny blonde woman is going to fight Kakarot, you idiot. I don’t know why though; Kakarot will easily beat her.”

 

“I’m not too sure guys,” Gohan said. He inhaled deeply and searched the blonde’s ki. “As strong as my dad and that guy are, I think she’s stronger.”

 

“It’s starting,” Piccolo said, returning everyone’s attention to the scene before them.

 

It was slow at first as Buffy and Goku got a feel for each other’s fighting styles, and then it sped up rapidly. Goku seemed to have the upper hand at first, with Buffy blocking his blows and kicks while she waited for an opening. When she found it, she sent a quick right hook into Goku’s nose. While he was stunned, she followed it with a quick roundhouse kick to his head and dropped to sweep his feet out from under him. She paused long enough to grab for the stake held at the small of her back, landed on top of Goku, and placed the stake on his chest, where it rested above his heart. She grinned and said, “That was too easy.”

 

She climbed off Goku and grabbed his hand to help him back up. Goku looked at Trunks and asked, “How well does your Buffy do against a Super Saiyan?”

 

Trunks blushed and said, “She still kicks my ass.” He shifted closer to Goku and said, “You know our sparring match earlier? Even when I’m at full strength, she acts as if it’s nothing.” He pulled out the heart disease antidote and handed it to Goku. “Don’t forget to take this,”

 

“No problem.” Goku turned to Buffy and said, “If you need a place to stay, I’m sure either Chi-Chi or Bulma won’t mind.”

 

“I think I’ll wait until I meet everyone before I make up my mind.” She looked around, searching for Trunks, only to find that he had disappeared. “I wonder where he went,” she said to herself as she followed Goku’s line of sight and saw him looking at a craft in the sky. She shaded her eyes and saw Trunks smiling and waving at her and Goku. She glanced back at the group starting to cross the small canyon. One of the first ones to reach them was a shorter man with black spiky hair.

 

The first time she heard him speak, she had felt the overwhelming urge to punch him in the face.

 

She couldn’t explain it, but something about the tone in his voice and the arrogance in his stance almost reminded her of Spike at his worst. She took a deep breath and attempted to make sense of what he was saying.

 

“It’s preposterous that she could have beaten you so easily, Kakarot! She’s nothing but a tiny blonde woman who looks like she couldn’t even hurt a fly! Why, I bet you let her get the better of you—”

 

His tirade was cut short by Buffy driving her fist right into the center of his face and breaking his nose. She quickly pulled away and blushed, slightly ashamed at losing her temper so easily. She looked over at the angry little man (and she could get away with calling him a little man as he was only an inch or two taller than her) and said, “Apparently I’m stronger than I look since I was able to break your nose so easily.”

 

He glared at her for a quick moment before he popped his nose back in place. Buffy gave a small wince at the way he had been able to shrug off the pain, never taking her eyes off the man in front of her. She had a feeling that if she did, he wouldn’t hesitate to attack her.

 

“Vegeta, leave her alone!” The blue-haired woman who had been standing apart from the group walked up to him and gave a tug on his very pink shirt. “She’s obviously had a hard enough of a day and she doesn’t need to take any crap from you!”

 

Vegeta turned his gaze to the woman and yelled, “This is none of your business, woman!” He turned back to Buffy and said, “I’m not sure if this newcomer would appreciate you meddling in her affairs.”

 

Buffy took two steps back in an effort to make herself more comfortable, only to have Vegeta to take the two steps with her. She glared at him and took another two steps, and somehow found herself in a pissing contest with the Saiyan. When he stepped into her comfort zone again, she said, “You need to back off or I’ll do something you’ll regret.”

 

He smirked at her and took the last steps needed to stand directly in front of her. “Make me regret it.”

 

Buffy didn’t say anything, she simply snapped. She planted her right fist in his face again, re-breaking his nose, before she kicked at him. Her knee impacted his abdomen and she heard the whoosh of breath he exhaled before she continued her assault. Several punches and kicks later, she finally knocked him to the ground and backed away so she wouldn’t be compelled to continue her attack.

 

For a few moments, there was nothing but silence before Goku said, “I think you may have broken him, Buffy.”

 

There was a weak chuckle that came from Vegeta. He sat up from his previous position and rolled his shoulders. “That wasn’t half bad. Too bad I’ve been hurt worse.”

 

Buffy planted her hands on her hips. She couldn’t believe the arrogance of this man. She cleared her throat and said, “I could have hurt you worse.” She waited for Vegeta to turn his gaze toward her and showed him her unhurt hands. “See? No scratches, no bruises, no broken bones.” She then invaded his space, forcing him to look up at her. “I’m sure if most people punched you in the face, their hands would be all torn up with as hard as your head is, but I’ll let you in on a little secret. Before I fell through that portal, I had just beaten the hell out of a hell-god and then I was able to take you out without injuring myself further, so I’d be careful if I were you.”

 

He was quiet for a moment before asking, “Are you able to use energy blasts?” He took her silence for conformation that she couldn’t, then said, “I won’t worry until you are able to then.” He collapsed backward and stared at the sky. He heard the talk about the androids coming and it would be the end of the world. He had already talked to Bulma’s father about building him a simulator that he could train in. Now he had three goals: become a Super Saiyan, defeat the androids, and beat the little woman at her own game.

 

***

 

Buffy had been unsure about what Goku’s reaction would be about asking to go to his place, but he just shrugged it off and assured her that it would be okay. Apparently, he had forgotten to make sure it was alright with his wife first. Buffy almost covered her ears to ward off the high pitch of Chi-Chi’s voice, but figured the other woman would feel insulted.

 

“Goku! I realize that you’ve been in space for a while, but the niceties can still be observed!” Buffy winced as Chi-Chi smacked Goku in the chest, and then watched as the other woman’s demeanor changed. Chi-Chi gave him a big smile and said, “I missed you and worried so much about you.”

 

Goku smiled down at his wife before he pulled her into his arms and planted a kiss on her forehead. He inhaled her scent and made a small contented noise. “Well, we are going to have a problem.” When Chi-Chi looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes, Goku quickly explained about the Androids and how Buffy had appeared, before he told her about his upcoming disease. “We have an antidote, but it won’t work until I get sick.”

 

Buffy cocked her head to the side and asked, “Didn’t that guy say that we should be hearing about it on the news soon?” When Goku nodded, she said, “Well, we’ll just expose you so you get it out of the way and you can be in fighting shape by the time those Androids come.”

 

Goku grabbed her up in a bear hug and swung her around the room. He planted a kiss on her forehead as he set her down and said, “I knew it was a good idea to bring you home with me.”

 

When Buffy looked over at Chi-Chi and found the other woman smiling at her. Chi-Chi took Buffy’s hand and said, “Well, let’s make you up a room. I’m sure that Piccolo will be along before too long and all of you need to get training.” Buffy opened her mouth to protest, but Chi-Chi stopped her. “I know this isn’t your fight, but we need all the help we can get; especially if what Gohan managed to tell me is true.”

 

Buffy blushed for two reasons: one being Chi-Chi’s hospitality, the other for how she had acted around Vegeta. She really needed to get a hold of her temper before she did something really awful to someone who didn’t totally deserve it.


	2. Chapter Two

** Chapter Two **

 

One month later, Vegeta was smarting at his defeat at the hands of a small blonde woman. He had already broken the simulator several times already and found it hard to restrain his anger, especially around women.  Bulma had been getting on his nerves, especially when she started harping about how he had treated the other woman. Vegeta knew the other woman could handle herself; after all she had apparently had no problem putting him in his place. He growled to himself as he returned his attention to the bots Dr. Briefs had built for him, it wouldn’t do for him to be distracted by thoughts of her while he was busy training.

 

He was several hours into his training when he felt a surge in ki so strong that it almost made him lose focus. He quickly powered everything down and stepped out of the simulator. He found an inner focus and searched for the strong energy; he was only slightly surprised that it came from the direction of Kakarot’s home, what did surprise him is that it didn’t feel like anyone he knew of. Curious, he walked back inside the simulator and activated the communication device. When Bulma answered, he asked, “Woman, did the little blonde woman go to Kakarot’s place?”

 

He heard the irritation in Bulma’s voice when she said, “My name is Bulma, you moron! And yes, Buffy did go with Goku, that way she didn’t have to put up with you!”

 

Vegeta pushed the button to end communication and exited the simulator. If he hurried, he could see for himself if this Buffy was as strong as her ki promised.

 

***

 

“That’s very good, Buffy. Now if we can just get you to control that energy, we can start the flying lessons.”

 

Buffy huffed impatiently. She had been working for a few days now, attempting to tap into her energy—ki Goku had called it—and when she was finally able to, it seemed to surround and attempt to take over, but she had been able to quickly contain it. Ever since she had unleashed it from the box it had been put in, she could constantly feel it humming under her skin.

 

“Okay,” Goku said as he helped her to her feet, “now try to push that energy toward your feet and try to lift yourself up, only using the energy inside you.”

 

It took a few minutes, but Buffy was finally hovering of her own volition. She blocked out the sounds of Gohan and Piccolo sparring, Goku’s words of encouragement, and even the sound of her own breathing, and in that moment of absolute stillness, she was able to find her center and took off into the sky. She wasn’t even sure where she was going, but she knew she was being drawn toward something. She opened her eyes and stopped, surprised to find Vegeta only a few yards away from her.

 

“So, Kakarot has been teaching you how to harness your ki? How interesting.” He crossed his arms over his chest and smirked at her.

 

Buffy kept a wary gaze on Vegeta. She knew from talks with both Goku and Chi-Chi that he was considered an ally, but just because he was their ally didn’t mean he was hers. If anything, he was an enemy until proven otherwise. She gave him a tense smile and said, “He thought it would be more effective if I could fight in the air and not be stuck on the ground in case things get dicey. Can’t say as I disagree with him, but if I’m stuck here, I may as well help instead of hinder.”

 

Vegeta was about to ask something when Goku suddenly popped up in-between them.

 

“Oh, hi, Vegeta; I guess you came out to investigate what was going on with us when you felt Buffy power up, huh?” Not waiting for an answer, Goku turned to Buffy and said, “I’m impressed you managed to get this far on your first try; normally just a light hovering is enough to tire someone out.”

 

“Well, I think you might just have to zip me home because I think it’s starting to kick in,” Buffy said as she started to waver where she was floating. After a few seconds, everything went black and she felt herself falling toward the ground.

 

***

 

When Buffy woke up, she felt like she had been asleep for days. She sat up and looked around to find Gohan keeping watch over her. She stretched and asked, “How long have I been out?”

 

Gohan looked up from his studying and said, “At least a day and a half.” When Buffy gaped at him he closed his book and added, “Don’t worry, my dad’s still out. Apparently wherever you flew to had the heart virus my dad was supposed to catch.” He watched Buffy throw the covers off her legs and try to stand up, only to see her collapse back on the bed. “If you want to wait a minute, I’ll help you into the dining room. I have to make sure everyone is awake anyway.”

 

Buffy took a few deep breaths and began stretching what muscles she could with out getting up. She stretched her arms over her head and let out a small sound of pleasure at the feeling before she continued. After a moment she looked toward the door and was surprised to see Vegeta standing there. She completed the stretch she was doing before she bade him good morning. When he didn’t reply in kind, she asked, “What are you doing here?”

 

He smirked and entered the doorway. He reached his hands out to help her up, but Buffy stood on her own. She was a little shaky, but she was standing on her own with out any help. He scowled at her for rejecting his offer of help, but didn’t comment on it. “You overexerted your energy and I caught you. Kakarot started grabbing at his chest, so I brought the two of you here.” He watched her watch him and found himself amused that she was wary in his company and since it amused him to do so, he was overly courteous. He pulled her chair out for her at the table and once she was seated, he took a chair next to hers and attempted to make small talk while they waited for breakfast.

 

Feeling that he was trying to pull one over on her, she gave him monosyllabic answers and kept scanning the doorways for someone to come through and save her from Vegeta. When it had been at least five minutes, she asked, “Where is everyone?”

 

Vegeta scowled at her, but tried not to lose his temper when he answered her. “Gohan was called out to complete some quick training with Piccolo and Chi-Chi was checking on Goku. I’m sure someone will be around shortly.”

 

Buffy returned his scowl with a glare while she asked, “You never fully answered my question; why are you still here?”

 

He thumped his fist on the table and said, “That’s none of your business, Woman!”

 

Feeling the adrenaline start pumping through her veins, Buffy stood and moved so the table was between them; she hoped a barrier between the two of them would stop the violence from escalating. She took a deep breath in an effort to calm down before she answered him. “Since I’m the only one who can do you serious damage, we might want to calm down and talk to each other like adults.”

 

Taking only half a moment to process what Buffy said, he said, “We have yet to see if you can beat me since the last time we met; it would be easier if you quit seeing me as your enemy when I am your ally.”

 

She cast a fleeting glance at the window and tried to calculate how fast she could make out of the house to where Gohan and Piccolo were training. When she decided that she wouldn’t be fast enough, she turned back to Vegeta and saw something in his eyes snap. Before she had a second to think about it, he was up and over the table and had pinned her to a wall. She struggled for a moment before she realized that she wasn’t strong enough to break away and that Vegeta apparently thought their verbal sparring was something akin to foreplay. She looked him in the eye and said, “You wonder why I have trouble seeing you as an ally when in the three times we’ve met, twice we’ve come to some sort of a physical confrontation.”

 

He leered at her and relaxed slightly as he scanned her body. While he had gone for the heavier type before, he found something very appealing in her slender and athletic form. He all but growled at her, “Maybe we connect on a more physical level. Ever think of that?”

 

She watched as he pulled away from and stalked out of the door, hopefully to go back to wherever he had been staying. She felt her legs give out and she slid to the floor. She didn’t move until Chi-Chi came out and started making breakfast. After a few moments, she stood and said, “I think I need to start training harder,” before she headed outside to join Piccolo and Gohan.

 

***

 

Once Goku recovered, the months passed in a blur, with Buffy quickly catching on how to control her energy and not letting her self get to the point where she drained herself dry. She vowed she would never be caught unaware by Vegeta again. While she tried to push him out of her mind, there were a few times he would creep in when she least expected it, but all it did was strengthen her resolve not to be the damsel again.

 

***

 

Vegeta had flown back to Capsule Corp with his metaphorical tail between his legs. He holed up in the simulator and steadfastly trained to become better, faster, and stronger; then he did his best to block Buffy from his mind. He was even stupid enough (in his opinion anyway) to slake his desire in Bulma one night in an effort to erase Buffy from his memory, but all it did was reinforce that Bulma wasn’t Buffy and couldn’t be a substitute no matter how hard he wished it.

 

When Bulma told him she was pregnant, all it did was reinforce his stupidity.

 

***

 

Buffy was feeling a little out-of-sorts at Capsule Corp, but she was having fun with her new friends and she had already decided that Vegeta wasn’t going to ruin her day. Trying to be nonchalant, she asked Bulma where Vegeta was.

 

“Oh, I have no idea where my baby’s father is. When I told him I was pregnant, he flew the coop.” She placed a hand on her belly and absentmindedly rubbed small circles. “Can’t say as I blame him, after all it was only a one-night stand and I wasn’t looking to get pregnant.” She hung her head and added, “To be perfectly honest, I don’t think I was the one he really wanted to be with.”

 

Buffy blushed but didn’t ask what she really wanted, so she changed the subject. “How’s Yamcha been?”

 

Bulma smiled at the topic change. “He’s handling it a lot better than I thought he would. He’s helping me set up a nursery and has been talking about how this has made him realize how close he came to actually losing me for good.”

 

Buffy was glad that it was turning out for the better. She was about to ask Bulma a few questions about something she thought the woman would be able to help her with, when one of the other guests screamed, “A man just landed on your lawn! And he wasn’t using a capsule!”

 

Both Buffy and Chi-Chi rushed to see who it could have possibly been. Maybe it was just Goku or Gohan and they had forgotten about the baby shower. Unfortunately, Buffy wasn’t so lucky; in the front lawn stood Vegeta in all his Super Saiyan glory. She swore under her breath, but gave small thanks that if she needed to take care of herself she could because she had started sparring with Goku in his Super Saiyan form a few months ago.

 

She heard someone say, “My God, he’s gorgeous,” but she tuned them out because something told her that he wasn’t here to see Bulma. She kept her eyes on him, clearly remembering the last time she had taken her eyes off him had ended up with her feeling utterly helpless. Not taking her eyes off him, she slowly backed away from the window and inched her way toward Bulma, hoping he wouldn’t make a move with an audience.

 

She was wrong.

 

She was only half-way across the room when he came through the window at her. She managed to dodge him and landed somewhere closer to Bulma. She could feel the power flowing off of him, but she couldn’t let it frighten her. And if Goku had been holding out on her, she was going to kick his ass when she got out of this. She quickly rolled to her feet and put herself between Vegeta and Bulma, feeling more like her old self in a long time. She could take him, but she needed to keep Bulma safe.

 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Vegeta?!” She screamed at him, trying to break him out of his trance. When that didn’t work, she quickly raised her power level like Goku had taught her to show him that she wasn’t afraid of him.

 

Apparently that had done the trick because he had stopped glaring at her like she was the cause of all his troubles and was staring at her in awe. She quickly powered down, but kept her guard up. When he finally seemed to snap out of it, she asked, “Were you too busy achieving your goal that you forgot about Bulma and your baby?” She walked up to him and slapped his face. “You need to pull your shit together; you’re going to be a father soon.” She turned to Bulma and said, “This was a lovely baby shower, Bulma, but I think it’s best if I go.”

 

Chi-Chi was right behind her. She handed Bulma the gifts they had brought and said, “You just let us know when that baby arrives so we can come see him.” She turned to Buffy and said, “I’m ready to go whenever you are.”

 

As Buffy and Chi-Chi exited the room, Buffy could feel Vegeta watching her the entire time. She just followed Chi-Chi and didn’t look back. Once they were outside, Buffy asked Chi-Chi if she wanted to use a capsule or just have Buffy fly her home. They both agreed that flying would be faster and if Vegeta happened to follow them, the men could help if Buffy needed it. When they safely landed at home, Buffy sought Goku out.

 

“He managed to do it.” Buffy knew that there was a small amount of fear in her voice, but she and Goku had already planned for this eventuality. “He showed up at the baby shower and came right for me. He didn’t even care about Bulma or the baby.”

 

Goku furrowed his brow and thought about what may be going on in Vegeta’s head. He nodded to himself before he said, “I guess we up your and Gohan’s training.” He looked up in the sky and yelled for Piccolo and Gohan. When they both came down he asked, “Are you ready for some real training?” He grabbed Buffy around the shoulders and said, “I think it’s time for us to see if there is any limit to Buffy’s power. Every time we start training, she seems to pull more power out of a bottomless well and I think we’re only scratching the surface.”

 

Piccolo grinned and said, “I guess we better get started.”


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter dealing with the prompt Enemies.

The days and months passed until it was finally time to meet up and fight the androids. That morning Buffy had woken early and had gotten herself ready before either Gohan or Goku had woken up. She prepared herself some coffee before going outside to join Piccolo in some meditation before they had to leave. When she felt she was as ready as she would ever be, she headed inside to get a quick bite to eat. The morning was mostly silent, the only noises being the sound of food being chewed and the occasional sniffle from Chi-Chi.

 

When Goku finally stood up and left the table, Buffy and Gohan followed suit. It was time to go. All three gave Chi-Chi a hug good-bye, and then stepped outside to meet Piccolo. Goku used his instant transmission to get them as close to the site as he could and they flew the remainder of the way. When they finally got to the island, Buffy ran up to Bulma and gave her a big hug.

 

“It’s been too long!” She leaned down to look at her friend’s baby and inspected him to see which of his parents he had taken after. She smiled at Bulma and said, “He looks like he’s a healthy blend of you both.”

 

“Well, I’m glad you think so. Mom and Dad say he looks just like me and Yamcha says that the stubborn look he gets in his eyes is all Vegeta.” Bulma laughed and held her son up and said, “Those silly people are just crazy when they don’t see both of us in you, huh? Seems only Buffy can see it.”

 

Buffy smiled as the baby babbled on. “While it’s good to see you, why are you even here? You or the baby—you still haven’t told me his name, by the way—could get hurt.”

 

Bulma seemed to get ready to pout, but said instead, “Trunks was restless and I thought flying out here with Yamcha could help him calm down, and it did, but I’m going to wait until you guys get going so we don’t get caught in the middle.”

 

“Oh, is that your baby, Bulma? Who’s the dad? Is it Yamcha?”

 

Bulma looked over to the newest arrival to the group and said, “Oh, it’s just you, Krillin. To answer your questions: Yes, this is my baby and his name is Trunks, Vegeta is the father, and Yamcha is okay with it.”

 

Krillin looked skeptical, but kept his thoughts to himself. He knew better than to make Bulma mad.  He turned toward Buffy and told her he was glad to meet her again. She returned his smile with one of her own before she turned her gaze to the horizon. He kept an eye on her out of the corner of his eye, and when he felt Vegeta approaching, he saw her visibly stiffen up. He asked her, “You alright there, Buffy?”

 

Buffy nodded her head, but turned to watch Vegeta heading in their direction. “Saying that Vegeta and I don’t get along is an understatement of epic proportions.”

 

Krillin could agree with her. “Vegeta doesn’t get along with anyone, but Bulma can keep him in line longer than the rest of us.”

 

Buffy rolled her eyes at his statement. “Even she’s managed to lose that edge the rest of us have.”

 

The group watched as Vegeta touched down on the outcropping they were waiting at. He nodded in greeting to everyone except Buffy; he openly leered at her. “Glad to see you could make it, Buffy. I was half afraid you would have been scared and left for your world.”

 

Even though Buffy really wanted to punch him, she settled for glaring at him. “I guess you were never told then. I can’t leave. Shenron isn’t strong enough to grant my wish.” She cracked her knuckles and stretched her arms about her head, beginning to limber up. “So, your troubles are now my troubles.” She walked up to Vegeta and stood only a few inches from him. She lowered her voice and added, “Since I’ve been training with Goku, I realized something and I think you should know it. You step one toe out of line, I will not hesitate to beat you down.” She walked away from him and resumed her skyward vigil.

 

Vegeta felt the heat infuse his blood and realized that his infatuation with the blonde had turned into an obsession to test her limits, his limits and to find out what it would feel like to feel her under him. He knew that if it had been only him and her standing here, he would have forgotten about the androids and just focused on her.

 

“There!”

 

The group looked to where Buffy was pointing and saw two figures flying above the city. It was hard to see what they looked like and in a flash they had disappeared into the city.

 

Yamcha turned to Buffy and asked, “How did you know they were there?”

 

She turned to him and said, “Slayer senses; seems they didn’t dull when I crossed into your world.” She turned to Goku and said, “Although it might be faster if we split up, I have a bad feeling that if we do someone will get hurt; and since I can sense them, maybe we can split up into small groups with you, me, Piccolo, and Gohan as leaders, so when I raise my level, you can lead them to me.”

 

“Sounds fine to me; Krillin, you can go with Buffy, Tien and Chiaotzu can go with Gohan, Yamcha can go with Piccolo and Vegeta can go with me. Sound good?”

 

“No, I will go with Buffy.”

 

The group looked in surprise at Vegeta. Buffy just sighed and said, “Whatever, you guys figure it out. I’m going after those androids.” She took off into the sky and headed toward the city. She wasn’t unsurprised when Vegeta joined her, but she ignored him as she began searching out the androids. She landed in the center of town and felt something pulling her toward the north.

 

“Are you sure this is the correct way to go?”

 

She growled at him under her breath. “If this isn’t the right way to go, then you are the most pleasant person I’ve ever met.” She continued on her path and stopped in her tracks when she spotted two ‘people’ who looked woefully out of place.

 

“Why did you stop?”

 

Buffy pointed in front of her and said, “Those two are the androids.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

She whipped around to face him. “What is with you always questioning me? Those ‘people’ don’t carry themselves like people: their body language is all wrong, their clothes don’t fit in with the other people we’ve seen so far, and the sun is reflecting off the white one’s forehead. Do you need any other examples?” By now she was seething, and really needed to take her anger out on something. She powered up and waited for the rest of the group to meet up with them.

 

Vegeta stood in awe as he felt the power rolling off her in waves. He managed to look behind her and saw the androids look in their direction. He turned her around so she could see them and said, “I think you’ve caught their attention.”

 

The one with a big hat and long beard moved in Buffy and Vegeta’s direction. “You there, girl; where did you get all that power? You are not in my database.”

 

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest and said, “Didn’t think I would be. Something like me is rare in my world, and unheard of in yours.” She looked him up and down, assessing the situation. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she had a bad feeling about this. “I’m thinking whoever had created you has never heard of a Slayer.”

 

The android looked puzzled and turned to other android. “Nineteen, what were you able to uncover from her power level.”

 

“She should not cause us any trouble, Twenty. She read only slightly lower than the data on Yamcha.”

 

Vegeta smirked at the androids and mimicked Buffy’s pose. He said to her, “I think their sensors are broken if they’re saying you’re weaker than that Earthling.”

 

Buffy shrugged and said, “Apparently they aren’t able to sense the depth of my power, only what leaks out onto the surface. What I learned from Goku and Piccolo is that while those that can sense power levels can begin to see the depths to my power, if I don’t expend the energy, it doesn’t register on sensors.”

 

“Good to know that the enemy will underestimate you. I think we need stall while the others arrive.”

 

“There is no need to wait, we will face you now.”

 

Buffy could see that Vegeta was beginning to lose his temper, so she said, “Why don’t you follow us to that island out there. We,” she pointed to Vegeta and herself, “don’t feel the need to sacrifice other people.” Buffy didn’t wait for the android to answer; she took off into the air, expecting everyone to follow her. When she was some miles away she touched down and waited for everyone else.

 

Vegeta was the first to arrive, quickly followed by the androids, and a few moments later, Goku popped in with everyone else using his instant transmission. He grinned at her and said, “I see you couldn’t wait for us.”

 

Buffy rolled her eyes at him. “From what I’ve heard, you’re the one who runs headlong into trouble.” She turned her attention back to the androids and asked, “So, how do we decide who goes first? Back home it was, ‘Buffy, you go first,’ since I was the least breakable and all.”

 

“We could do rock, paper, scissors and eliminate people that way,” Goku suggested.

 

Buffy turned to the androids and said, “This will only take a sec, and then we’ll get down to it.”

 

Android Twenty folded his arms across his chest and said, “Fine; hurry up before I lose my patience.”

 

They quickly paired off and quickly played. It was best two out of three and was quickly whittled down to Buffy, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Tien. Buffy squared off against Tien and had lost rather quickly. She had a feeling that Chiaotzu had given him a hand, but she knew it would be poor sportsmanship if she brought it up. Then she saw one of the strangest things, Vegeta deliberately lost; to someone paying attention, he had been going all out until Buffy lost, then his gaze lost some of his intensity and he lost to Tien. Piccolo gave her a small nudge to let her know he had noticed too, but, thankfully, he didn’t voice his opinion out loud. The last thing she needed was for the Namekian to voice what was going on in his head.

 

Tien squared off and began battering away at Android Nineteen. The android kept giggling this mad little giggle every time Tien hit him. After a few minutes of not making a dent in the android, Tien unleashed a ki attack. This time the android’s eyes widened and he put his hands up like he was going to block the blast, only to absorb it into the jewels in his hands.

 

Buffy could only shake her head in disbelief. It was one thing to fight seemingly unbreakable androids; it was another to fight seemingly unbreakable androids that were energy sucking as well. She turned her gaze to the other android and was unsurprised to see the smirk on his face. She motioned toward the one called Twenty and said, “I think Papa Smurf was expecting this.”

 

Goku turned to the look at Twenty and said, “I think you’re right, Buffy.” He turned back to Tien and yelled, “Tien, don’t use any ki blasts!”

 

Buffy looked at Goku and said, “Way to state the obvious.” She turned to Vegeta and asked, “Do you have any practical ideas?”

 

Vegeta just crossed his arms over his chest. “If he can’t figure it out on his own, then he deserves what he gets.”

 

Tired of all his antics and his bad attitude, Buffy had had enough. She glared at him and said, “If you aren’t going to help, then go back to Capsule Corp. Now.” Vegeta just stood there, staring at her blankly as if he had never heard someone talk to him that way before. Buffy huffed and started feeling her anger begin to boil over. She looked over at Tien and saw that he was starting to have a hard time. Nothing major, but she could tell that he was starting to tire out. She hollered at him, “Mind if I tag in, Tien?”

 

Since it hadn’t occurred to anyone else to step in while Tien was clearly tiring, he looked at her in surprise. He gave her a tired smile and said, “Sure, if you want a turn, be my guest.”

 

She walked up to where he was standing and said, “Thanks,” before she planted her right fist in the middle of Nineteen’s face. The android flew a few feet and managed to skid to a stop only a few feet from where Twenty stood. When he stood, there was an obvious dent in the middle of his face. He charged at Buffy and she stood her ground, ready to give him a surprise. Picking a spot in his abdomen, she slammed her wrists together.

 

“Buffy, no!”

 

Buffy didn’t pay any attention to Goku as she completed her Kamehameha Wave. Making sure to keep control on her energy output, she aimed for the area just below Nineteen’s outstretched hands. As fast as she had let the attack fly, she quickly snuffed her power and surveyed the damage. What was left of the android didn’t look very pretty.

 

The remaining android’s eyes were wide in horror. He pointed a finger at Buffy. “You should not have been able to cause this amount of damage. Your power level is lower than Yamcha’s!”

 

Knowing that her anger had caused her to go overboard, Buffy settled for glaring at him and said, “Apparently, you have never heard the saying, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’ Just because your sensors say I’m weaker than Yamcha, doesn’t mean that I’m weaker than Yamcha.” She turned away from him and looked at Goku. “I’m sorry I did that, but he was pissing me off.”

 

Goku gave her a smile and was about to say something when he noticed that Twenty had fired a blast in Buffy’s direction. He started moving in her direction, only to see that Vegeta had already tackled her to the ground. When he turned his attention back to where the android had been standing, Twenty was long gone.

 

As Buffy lay on the ground and struggled to catch her breath, she could feel Vegeta checking her over for any wounds. She could have sworn that she heard him murmuring to himself about how she had better not be hurt because he had plans for her. She finally managed to pull in a lungful of air and began coughing. She looked into Vegeta’s eyes and said, “Not so hard next time, okay?”

 

Vegeta’s eyes raised skyward, as if he was thanking some deity that she had been unharmed, before he grabbed fistfuls of hair on either side of her face and slammed his lips to hers. Buffy struggled for a moment, but relaxed against him as his hands loosened in her hair. It felt like a few minutes had passed, in truth it was only a few moments, before Vegeta pulled away. He scowled at her and said, “Don’t do that to me again,” before he let go of her and distanced himself by standing and moving a few feet away.

 

Buffy stayed where she was, completely confused as to what the hell was going on. She and Vegeta had never spent much time together and he had never given any inkling that he had any sort of positive feelings toward her.

 

 She just stared at Vegeta and while she tried to collect her thoughts, Trunks flew in from wherever he had been hiding and asked, “Where did that android go? He wasn’t one of the ones I warned you about.”


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First of 3-4 chapters based off the prompt #2: Middles

To say the group was surprised would be putting it mildly. Vegeta ran up to Trunks and grabbed the lapels of the young man’s jacket. Shaking Trunks, Vegeta began yelling, “What do you mean those weren’t the androids you warned us about?! They were right where you said they would be!”

Trunks pulled away for Vegeta and gave him a disgusted look. He turned to Goku and said, “I didn’t know that by coming back I would alter the future this much.”

Buffy, still reeling from Vegeta’s unexpected kiss, asked, “What are they supposed to look like?”

As Trunks described the androids they were looking for, Buffy found herself watching Vegeta, searching for any sign of the emotion she had felt in his kiss. While his face seemed expressionless, his eyebrows gave him away. They would turn down in the corners or would quickly arch up, before he could school his face back into showing no emotion. He stilled for a second, then turned and looked at Buffy. She quickly looked away and felt herself begin to blush. The man was going to drive her insane!

When Trunks finished describing the androids Seventeen and Eighteen, Buffy asked him if he saw the way that Twenty had gone. Trunks pointed toward a rocky outlet and Buffy took off flying in the general direction, hoping to feel the strange feeling she had felt when she first saw the androids earlier.

Trunks watched her fly off then turned to Goku and asked, “What’s wrong with Buffy?”

Goku grinned and said, “I think you should ask Vegeta, Trunks.”

Vegeta stared at Trunks and mouthed his name. He shook his head and said, “You can’t be my son. My son is just an infant.”

Trunks crossed his arms over his chest. “You better believe it. I’m from seventeen years in the future.” He smirked at Vegeta and asked, “So, Dad, what did you do to Buffy?”

Vegeta looked toward Goku and growled at him. “If you want the boy to know, you tell him.” He then took off after Buffy. 

Just before he was completely out of earshot, he heard Goku yell, “He saved her form the android and then he kissed her!”

Vegeta knew that sooner or later he and Goku were going to have to fight it out again and because Goku had yelled that just to make him mad, he was going to break the other man’s nose.

***

Trunks looked at Goku and asked, “Was that the truth? Did he save her and kiss her?”

Goku looked at the young man he cared about like one of his own and saw that he was heartbroken. “You love her, don’t you?”

“More than I can ever tell you.” He looked in the direction that his father and Buffy flew off in. “Did you know that she ages even slower than full-blooded Saiyans do? She looks the same as she does now in my time.”

Goku placed a hand on Trunks’ shoulder. “Does your Buffy know about your feelings?”

Trunks pulled away and shook his head. “She looks at me like her cute little brother.” He took off in the same direction as the other two had gone.

Goku looked at Piccolo, Krillin, and Yamcha as if they could fix Trunks’ heart. Piccolo shook his head, Krillin shrugged his shoulders, and Yamcha said, “I’ll be teaching our Trunks that older women are bad news, especially those that his father is interested in.”

***

Buffy could feel Vegeta close in on her, but kept herself open to feel for Twenty. She could feel the strange, almost metallic feeling race down her spine and knew she was flying in the right direction. She looked behind her and saw that Vegeta was on her heels—almost literally—and slowed down a fraction to let him catch up. “Wanted to make sure you didn’t miss anything?”

“No, I didn’t.” Vegeta almost smiled, but didn’t. “I want to know how you managed to learn how to manipulate energy so fast.”

She concentrated on the feeling for a moment before she answered him. “I guess because as a Slayer in my world, I manipulate energy there. It’s the same principles, just a different application.”

She stopped for a second and felt the energy shift. Now it was heading northeast of their current position. She headed in the new direction, knowing Vegeta would follow. As she started off, she felt a different energy come towards her. The moment she realized that it was Trunks coming toward them, she lost the general uneasiness Twenty’s energy signature gave her, and knew she had lost him. “Damn it!”

Vegeta watched her angrily speed off and was hot on her heels. He couldn’t sense the android, but knew that she could and that Trunks closing in had caused her to lose track. He was surprised when she suddenly stopped and realized they were near a mountain range. “Having problems?”

Buffy looked at him to see if he was being serious or being a smart-ass. Since she couldn’t discern either way, she decided he was being serious. “If you could lower your power level, that would be great. I’m having trouble isolating the different feelings.” She felt Vegeta pull his energy inward and began searching for Twenty’s energy again.

Trunks stopped a few feet from Vegeta and Buffy, wanting to see how they interacted. Vegeta had his arms crossed over his chest and was watching Buffy; Buffy was staring off in the distance, looking like she was searching for something. Trunks watched the sunlight glint off her blonde hair and made a low sound of longing in his throat.

Vegeta looked behind him to see the source of the noise and saw his son hovering a few feet behind them. The look he saw in the young man’s eyes made him want to grab Buffy and take off, but he was slowly getting to know the woman and knew he would end up with his nose broken again if he tried something like that. He settled for glaring at Trunks and hoped that Buffy wouldn’t notice what was happening behind her. He returned his gaze to her and found himself quickly having to follow her as she took off toward one of the mountains.

Trunks followed behind them, making sure to keep his power level low so as not to distract Buffy again. As they slowed down, Trunks could make out an indentation in one of the mountains. Their small group came to a stop and Trunks could feel power radiating off Buffy in waves.

Buffy raised her power level like Piccolo and Goku had taught her to should they ever get separated. After a few moments, the rest of the fighters had joined her, Vegeta, and Trunks and was waiting for her to fill them in. She pointed to the crater and said, “That’s where he’s hiding. I couldn’t begin to tell you what is going on in there, but if I had to guess, he could be booting up the other two androids.”

“What are we waiting for then?! They will kill us all!” Trunks shoved Buffy out of the way and sent an energy blast at the door, hoping that it would vaporize the androids inside. As the smoke cleared, he saw that he had failed.

Seventeen smirked at the group. “Well, are you throwing a party for us, Doctor?”

Eighteen flipped her hair over her shoulder. “If he is, I would say that this is a piss-poor turnout. We deserve more than nine people.”

“Would you two just shut up?! The little blonde woman killed Nineteen in a single blast!”

Seventeen assessed Buffy and his right eyebrow quirked upwards. “A single blast? I must say that I’m quite surprised. I would have assumed that he would have used his energy absorbers and simply absorbed it. How did she hit him?”

“I aimed for a spot below where his arms were outstretched.” Buffy folded her arms over her chest and attempted to suss out what made these new androids tick. From what she could tell, they were more human than Twenty and seemed to be mostly human to begin with; maybe they only had a few extras? She leveled her gaze at Trunks and asked, “Are they really as strong as you said?”

Trunks nodded. “At times it seems they will never stop.”

Seventeen took the opportunity to snatch the control out of Twenty’s hand and smashed it to the ground. “You will never put us to sleep again!” He then leveled a blast right at Twenty’s face and blew the other android’s head clean off.

Eighteen looked at the group and said, “I guess this is where you run.”

“Please. You haven’t shown me anything that I need to be afraid of yet.” Vegeta motioned in Buffy’s direction. “I’m more afraid of what she could do to me and she’s an ally.”

Eighteen smirked at him. “You and me then. Let’s move down the mountain and I’ll show you that there’s a reason you should be afraid of me.” She flew out of the crater and landed at the bottom of the mountain in a fairly flat area. She flicked a strand of hair out of her face and said, “I’m waiting.”

Vegeta flew down to meet Eighteen and landed right in front of her. He assumed a fighting stance and powered up to a Super Saiyan. “I won’t be going easy on you just because you are a female.” He punched at her face and growled when she dodged out of the way. He took a few more swings at her and got more and more frustrated when she only dodged out of the way. “Stay still, damn you!”

Eighteen smirked at him. “Too bad you’re too slow.” She stopped dodging and taunted, “I’ll stand still and you can have a free shot. Hit me as hard as you can.”

Vegeta’s nostrils flared as he growled at her. He was unwilling to let a free shot just go by, his pride be damned. He powered up and hit her as hard as he could. He was gobsmacked when she didn’t even budge under the force of his blow. “That’s impossible!”

“No, the good doctor simply calculated that you might be stronger than he thought.” She took her left hand and swept it down her body. “It helps that he had such good source material to work with.” She lunged at him and stopped right underneath his nose. She sniffed in his general direction then looked at Seventeen. “I think I smell fear, brother.”

Buffy watched the entire exchange with an air of boredom. She didn’t care much for this one-on-one posturing and cared even less for the android. The blonde annoyed her more than Spike did at his worse; it was saying something that Vegeta no longer fell into that category. Either the blonde was that much more annoying than Vegeta could ever aspire be or something had happened to dramatically shove him into the friendly column in her brain. And it had happened before the kiss this afternoon.

By the time Buffy was finished with her introspection, it was to realize that Vegeta had apparently developed a pattern of having his ass beaten by blonde woman. As he lay on the ground, bleeding, Buffy was surprised at how helpless she felt. She watched as Trunks flew at Eighteen in a rage and as everyone jumped in to save the two men. She shook her head at the mess, before joining the fray. She managed to land a few good hits on Seventeen, possibly breaking his jaw, when Eighteen seemed to come out of nowhere and landed a blow that knocked her unconscious. As she felt herself go out, she heard someone yell and the sound of flesh hitting flesh before everything stopped.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second of 3-4 chapters based off the prompt #2: Middles

* * *

 

Buffy sat up suddenly and felt pain shoot through her body. She tried to stifle her cry, so as not to disturb anyone who may be in the room with her. She lowered herself back down on to what she assumed was a bed and slowly cataloged her hurts. She was pretty certain she had a minor concussion, a few healing ribs, and a strained wrist. She opened her eyes and let them adjust to the darkness of the room she was in. She looked toward her feet and was surprised to find Piccolo sitting on the edge. “Hi.”

 

Piccolo smirked at the hoarseness of her voice. “Glad to see you decided to rejoin the living.” He rose and brought her a glass of water. “You have been unconscious for three days. One of those idiots decided to give you a senzu bean.”

 

Buffy emptied the glass and handed it back to Piccolo for him to fill it up again. “I'm guessing that it was one of the others that joined us that day.”

 

He handed the full glass back to her. “Krillin thought he was helping. He had it in your mouth before Goku or I could explain what happens when you eat one of those beans.”

 

Buffy set the empty glass on the table next to the bed and drew her knees up to her chest. “I'm going to assume that everyone's okay and now knows about my 'allergy'.”

 

Piccolo snorted. “That's an understatement. When both Vegeta and Trunks found out who had caused it, Goku had to play peacemaker. I'm sorry you missed it.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Buffy slowly swung her legs around and tried to stand up. When she faltered for a moment, Piccolo wrapped an arm around her waist until she was able to stand on her own. She smiled at him and asked, “Why is it I have no problems being weak around you?”

 

“Because you and I know that I don't want to be anything more than friends.”

 

“That's right. Silly of me to forget.” She took a few steps toward the door before turning back toward her friend and asking, “Where are we, by the way?”

 

“We're at The Lookout.”

 

Buffy raised an eyebrow at him and took a few more steps toward the door. “I didn't realize it was bad enough that we had to come up here.” She remembered having conversations with Piccolo about Kami and her family back home. The Namekian had made it clear that a lot had to happen before he would willingly visit Kami again.

 

“I came up here to merge with Kami and he wanted to see how things played out. I brought you with me; there was enough tension going on between the Saiyans and I didn't trust them enough to leave you in their care.” He opened the door and let her exit the room first. As they moved to the main area of The Lookout, Piccolo slowly let Buffy attempt to walk without any help. Just before they were in the main gathering area, Piccolo spoke up. “I thought you would like to know that there is tension between Trunks and Vegeta concerning you.”

 

Buffy groaned and leaned up against a wall to catch her breath. “Please tell me that they're not fighting to see who earns my affections.” When Piccolo raised an eyebrow at her, she let out a shaky laugh. “Are they glaring at one another to see who will crack first?”

 

He smiled and answered, “Vegeta won that contest yesterday afternoon. Today's competition has to do with who will be the next one to continue keeping watch over you.”

 

She pushed herself off the wall and wobbled for a moment while she gained her footing. “I take it you won?”

 

“I simply walked out of the room and relieved Chi-Chi.”

 

Buffy doubled over in laughter at Piccolo's dead-panned delivery. She stood back up and walked into the room with Piccolo trailing behind her. She was quickly caught in Gohan's embrace. While the young boy held tightly across her waist, she stroked his hair and assured him that she was better. She didn't comment on the sniffle he made, she just hugged him back. She let him lead her over to a set of stairs and listened to him explain to her what the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was and what it meant for them.

 

* * *

 

 

Vegeta was glad to see Buffy walk through the door, but he wasn't going to let anyone else see it. He didn't like to see her weak because that wasn't the way he saw her. She was always strong and vibrant to him and when he saw how broken she was after Eighteen had taken mad delight in kicking Buffy when she was laying unconscious on the ground, he had nearly lost it. He didn't even want to examine how close to despair he felt when he found out that she had nearly died from something as small as a senzu bean. Anger was a better way to deal with things.

 

“Ready to go in now?”

 

Vegeta looked to him left and saw Kakarot sitting next to him. He frowned and asked, “When did you sit down next to me?”

 

“When Buffy came in.” Goku took a deep breath and seemed to wrestle with himself about something for an instant. “Are you planning on telling her how you feel?”

 

Goku chuckled when Vegeta flung himself as far as he could without making a commotion. “Vegeta, you shouldn't be surprised that I would know something about you like that. We have been friends for a while now.” He turned to gaze at Buffy. “She's the type of person that's easy to love. Gohan loves her like a sister, Chi-Chi and I love her like parents, and Piccolo loves her in his own way. You love her in a romantic way and I'm fine with that.”

 

Goku crossed to Vegeta and lowered his voice as he said the next part.

 

“If you hurt her, I will kill you, if she doesn't kill you first.”

 

Vegeta just stared at Kakarot and was suddenly glad that the other man never had any daughters. In that split second, he could understand what could make the usually gentle and affable man suddenly flip a switch and become a killing machine. Swallowing his pride for a moment, he said, “I don't think she would ever let me get close enough to hurt her.”

 

Goku smiled at him and thumped him on the shoulder. “Cheer up, Vegeta! Stranger things have happened.”

 

* * *

 

 

Trunks took a deep breath as he tried to steel himself to enter the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. He was relieved when Buffy and Piccolo entered the main gathering area and had tried not to see how his father reacted. When Vegeta's face remained blank, he knew that there was going to be trouble. His mother had told him once that the less emotional Vegeta seemed about something, the more invested he actually was.

 

He looked away in time to see Goku motioning him to the entrance of the chamber. He hopped down from the ledge he was sitting on and made his way over. Before he entered, Buffy stopped him and said, "Good luck. I hope you are able to break through to the next level." She gave him a hug then sent him on his way.

 

He waited for Vegeta and saw Buffy tell him the same thing. When she gave him a hug, Vegeta took the time to whisper something to her, and when she pulled away, she was blushing. She slugged him on the arm and when he only smiled at her, she said, "I'm definitely weaker than I thought if all I do is make you smile."

 

In that moment, he could see the man his mother had talked to him about and felt slightly jealous that Buffy was the one to bring it out of him. He cleared his throat and said, "I think it's time for us to go."

 

Both he and his father entered the chamber and as the door was swinging shut, he heard Buffy call, "If you two are even a minute late, I'll send Goku in after you!"

 

After the door clicked shut, Trunks turned to Vegeta and asked, "So how should we get started?"

 

Vegeta walked off the edge of the platform and frowned when he felt the gravity shift around him. After a moment, he adjusted to the change and punched the open air in front of him. He turned back to trunks and said, "I train alone."

 

Trunks watched him stalked off before he moved off to the side to begin his own training. He would surpass his father, even if it brought him to the brink of death.

 

* * *

 

 

"So, what do we do now?"

 

"You get to stay here and rest."

 

Buffy pouted at Piccolo. When he didn't even flinch, she turned to Gohan and asked, "Are you and your dad supposed to go next?"

 

"Yeah. Bulma's working on a remote to shut those androids down."

 

She turned to the other two men. "I've been meaning to ask, which one did all the damage?" When both of them stared her blankly, she continued, "One of them had to do enough damage to warrant using senzu bean."

 

"The blonde one."

 

Buffy nodded. She could see Eighteen being sneaky enough to blindside her. "Tell me I, at least, broke the dude's jaw."

 

Goku grinned. "If you didn't break it, I would be surprised."

 

Finally feeling tired, Buffy moved to a chair. She sat down and asked, "Why do we need to shut them down?"

 

* * *

 

 

Vegeta fell to his knees and watched the sweat dripped off his nose. He punched the ground in frustration and felt something crack. He could feel that he was at the edge of a precipice and just knew that final shove.

 

He had already lost track of the number of days since he and Trunks and entered the chamber, but he knew that Buffy would do wish she had said and send Kakarot for them. He very nearly smiled to himself until he remembered it was his fault she had been as injured as she had been because he had been too weak.

 

He rose and began again, the image of Buffy's battered and broken body the motivation to take the leap off the ledge.

 

* * *

 

 

"Buffy, we need you to meet some one."

 

Buffy stretched and sat up in the chair she had fallen asleep in after the plan had been explained. She was still dubious as to how it would actually work, but she didn't have much choice since she was still healing. She rose and moved to where everyone else was standing. Gohan was animatedly talking with a little green boy.

 

Once Buffy joined the group, Goku placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "I'd like to introduce you to Dende. He's the new guardian of the earth."

 

Buffy looked Dende over and thought that he was cute. She squatted down to his level, wincing as pain shot through her side, and bowed her head to him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dende. Goku, Gohan, and Piccolo have told me a lot about you."

 

Dende grinned at her. "Gohan was just telling me about you. Did you really break Vegeta's nose when you first met him?"

 

Buffy looked over at Gohan and watched him blush and turn away. "Yes, I did." She turned back to Dende. "Is a really such a big deal?"

 

Dende's eyes widened as he nodded. He stepped closer to Buffy and asked, "Can we see if I'm able to heal you?" He held his hands out and said, " If it starts to feel worse, just tell me and I'll stop."

 

"Let's give it a try, then." Buffy's said on her butt to make it easier if it started bothering her.

 

"It should feel warm," Gohan told her as Dende placed his hands over the crown of her head.

 

* * *

 

 

Trunks paused long enough to tie his hair way from his face before he resumed his training. A month ago, at least by his internal clock, both he and Vegeta had finally ascended. Since then, he had felt his strength climb exponentially and was gaining new ground every day. He had been initially worried about surprising Vegeta and wounding his pride, when all he desperately wanted was his father's approval, but overcame that when he remembered exactly what it was pride got you. An empty bed was cold comfort.

 

He pushed himself harder than he ever thought possible and then pushed himself further. He wouldn't let Buffy down again.

 


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter based off the prompt Middles :)

Outside the chamber, time passed as normal. It had been disappointing to find that Dende's healing didn't work as well as hoped; Buffy was happy that she could breathe easier due to her ribs finally mending. After another few hours' rest, Buffy realized it was time to release Trunks and Vegeta from the chamber. After a moment, she turned her gaze to the door. She rose from her seat and walked over to the door. She debated as to whether she should do what she was thinking of doing and decided to just do it. She put her hand on the handle and was only stopped from turning it by Goku.

"I think you might enjoy this more, if you let me do the yelling."

Buffy started to protest, but Goku led her back to her chair. He moved it so she was sitting directly in front of the door. He then flung the door open and called out, " Buffy says your time is up!"

She smiled as Goku moved out of the doorway so she could see what was happening. Trunks exited first and Buffy was surprised at the length of his hair. He had muscles that she had been unaware of until that moment and had to wonder what was keeping her future self from acting. She then remembered that until he had entered the chamber he had been a minor and technically off limits. She made a mental note to send a letter to her other self when Trunks left. She gave her head a little shake and watched Vegeta exit. And felt a bolt of lust so strong it left her flushed. He was barefoot and bare naked from the waist up, and exuded an aura of power that would make any woman weak in the knees. She tried to take a deep breath, but remembered what he whispered to her earlier and felt her blush deepen. For the first time in a long time, she knew she was in trouble.

Vegeta was a little disappointed that Buffy had been the one to come get them until he remembered that she was likely still injured. He walked over to her and gave her half smile. "Glad to see you had no problem sending Kakarot after us."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "If Dende had been able to heal me more, I'd be herding you to the showers." Her eyes widened and she said, "What I was trying to say is that you need to get clothes on because... I'll shut up now."

Vegeta grinned at her. "Now tell me what it is you really want."

Buffy stared at him for a moment and shook her head. "I can't yet."

Vegeta placed his hands on the arms of her chair and boxed her in. He lowered his face to hers and watched her eyes flutter shut. He whispered into her ear, "I thought about that kiss a lot when I was in there."

Buffy opened her eyes and could see the outline of his jaw. She brushed her lips against his cheek. When he turned toward her, she paused for a moment to decide if she'd really did want to kiss him when she heard Piccolo call her name. She looked over at Piccolo and in that moment couldn't wait until it was her turn with him in the chamber so she could thump him.

"Don't you have something you have to do, Vegeta?"

Vegeta looked away from Buffy and looked at the Namekian. He raised an eyebrow and sneered at Piccolo. "I was in the middle of something."

Piccolo crossed his arms and looked at Buffy. "Until she's fully healed, I don't think anything should be going on." He grabbed Vegeta's arm and pulled him away so he can have a private word with the man. He could hear Buffy's laughing and knew it was both in frustration and at the sight Vegeta was making.

"What is the meaning of this? When will she and I be left alone to figure out things for ourselves?"

Piccolo growled at him, "The moment she has had time to heal and figure out things for herself." When Vegeta tried to pull away, Piccolo gripped his arm harder. "I know what Goku said to you before you entered the chamber. Allow me to repeat it as well as reiterate that she is special to all of us, so you better tread lightly."

Vegeta pulled away. "Don't worry. I won't let her down again."

***

"I think I know why the healing didn't go as well as it should have."

Buffy looked up at the freshly clothed Trunks. She stretched her arms and asked, "Why's that?"

Trunks sat down in front of her and crossed his legs. "Now, this is just a theory, but the fact you and your demon haven't synced yet might be the problem."

"What do you mean we 'haven't synced'?"

He cleared his throat and looked down. "I was thinking about it while I was training and I was wondering why eating one senzu bean would suppress your healing so much." He looked at her. "Not that they work in my world, but it doesn't completely suppress your demon. And right now I can barely sense your power."

Buffy sat still for a moment and thought about what Trunks had said and began looking for Piccolo. When she saw he was still giving Vegeta his death-glare, she rolled her eyes. "Piccolo! Come listen to this idea Trunks has." She turned back to Trunks. "Could that be why I'm feeling run down?"

Trunks shrugged. "It could be." He took a good look at her face and noticed the dark circles under her eyes and he knew that she had already pushed back her exhaustion several time already. Trunks quickly explained what was happening to Piccolo.

After taking a moment to process what Trunks said, Piccolo looked at Buffy and noticed how tired and lifeless she seemed. If he was pushed, he could say that the most animated she had been was when she had been interacting with Vegeta. He picked up Buffy bridal-style and headed to the chamber. He stopped Goku and Gohan and said, "We need to go ahead of you. If Trunks is right about what is going on, then we need to start as soon as possible."

Goku took a good look at Buffy and could tell she was slowly dying. If they waited for him and Gohan to go in, it was possible she might be dead before they exited. He stepped aside and said, "Of course. We'll keep and eye on things here."

"Where's Vegeta?"

"He's changing, Buffy. We can't wait for him," Piccolo gently told her.

"No, I need to see him before I go in."

Goku popped out, then popped back in, bringing Vegeta with him. When Vegeta began to protest, Goku said, "She wouldn't go in until she saw you."

Buffy unwrapped her arms from around Piccolo's neck and grabbed at Vegeta's armor. She pulled him towards her and said, "Don't make me regret this," as she pulled him into a kiss. She felt him thread his hands through her hair and she sighed against his mouth. She pulled away and looked into his eyes. "Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone."

Piccolo cleared his throat. "We need to go in now."

Vegeta stepped back and watched them enter the chamber. When he heard the door click shut, he pulled all his emotion inward and turned to his son. "Let's go kill Cell before she gets back."

Goku didn't think it was a good idea, but he knew that if he was to point that out to the other man, he would just get punched for his trouble. So he stayed silent as Vegeta and Trunks geared up and went after Cell.

***

Piccolo carried her to the edge of the platform and gritted his teeth when he heard her cry out as he stepped off the edge. He carried her until he was a few yards away and set her down. He sat down in front of her and began talking. "Buffy, remember how Goku taught you how to find and harness your ki? Instead of pushing it into a box and slamming the lid shut, you need to let roam free. Learn it's boundaries and learn to compromise." He folded his arms across his chest; he had planned on meditating while she worked through her problem. Before he started, he said, "To the thing that inhabits Buffy—there is a fight on the horizon. If you can learn to work together, I'll make sure you get a chance to fight."

Buffy watched him close his eyes and knew he would leave her alone unless she needed his help. She took a deep breath and began searching the part of her soul that contained her 'black box'. It stuck her as odd that it was easy to get to, but she would worry about that later. She imagined undoing the lock and opening the lid. She felt the energy spilling out and surrounding her.

_'Hello, Slayer. I see someone finally made the connection and told you to set me free. I've been trying to get your attention for some time now.'_

Buffy gasped. She had never believed that the demon inside her was sentient.

_'I prefer to be called a spirit. I haven't been an actual demon for some time, girl.'_

She took a deep breath, unsure of how to continue. _'What do I need to do?'_

_'Give me a moment to stretch. It's been a long time since any Slayer has listened to me and taken my advice. Is that stupid Council still in operation?'_

_'Yes, although my Watcher understood that I needed to do things my own way.'_

_'Should you ever return, you need to tell your Watcher about me. You would save a lot of girls. And tell Faith. It will help her a lot.'_

_'I will.'_ Buffy relaxed as she felt the power settle into her skin, hair, and bones. She felt all her aches and tenderness melt away and knew she had been wrong to fear this power all this time. She lay back and drifted off as her body fully healed.

***

Buffy bounced up and down on the soles of her shoes, excited to see how connecting with the spirit (the newly christened Seimei) had changed how she fought. After the initial contact, it had taken two weeks to learn how to reign in her power for every day tasks. She had to promise Seimei many times that it wasn't being stuffed back in the box forever, just until Buffy had gained control. Once she got comfortable, she decided to try sparring.

"Now, let's start slow. Let Seimei loose and try to suppress your power level without locking it up."

Newly familiar with working with Seimei, she didn't keep a lid on the 'box' anymore. _'You heard him. Let's see if it's possible.'_

_'Yes, let's.'_

Buffy felt Seimei slowly stretch and settle along her skin. She took a deep breath and tried to suppress the power output. She felt the extra power leave her limbs and settle near her heart.

_'That's interesting. I thought you would pull me back into your brain, not settle me near your heart.'_

Buffy smiled. _'I've always been more likely to follow my heart instead of my brain.'_ She turned to Piccolo and asked, "Is it working?"

He tilted his head and searched her ki to see if he could assess her power level. "You suppressed it very well. I'm certain that if I was to put you in the middle of any crowded city, only those with intimate knowledge of your ki would know it was you."

Buffy let out the breath she had been holding. That was good news. "Let's see how hard I hit when I'm like this."

"Okay." He pulled off his cape and turban. "It's going to be like when you first arrived: no powering up, no ki blasts, and no aiming for the face."

_'He's taking all the fun out of it.'_

_'I understand why he's being careful, but I promise, the first time Vegeta pisses me off, I'm aiming for his nose.'_

_'Good. I like when you show him who's boss.'_

Buffy giggled. She turned to Piccolo and assumed a fighting stance. She smiled at him for a brief moment then punched his outstretched hand. She scowled when he grinned at her. She punched again and his grin grew wider. "What's so damn funny?"

"That only tickled."

***

A few weeks later, when they took a break from their training, Piccolo brought up something that had been bothering him. "I'm curious as to how you were able to hurt Vegeta in that first fight and how you managed to best Goku."

Buffy wiped the sweat off her brow and took a drink of water. "Really? I thought you had figured it out already." She grabbed something to eat and said, "I know that Seimei and I aren't quite where we need to be, but I'm close to where I was when I first arrived. And I'm still only at twenty-five percent." She took a few bites. "Neither of them were powered up and I had the element of surprise on my side. Why do you think I started training like my life might depend on it?" She quickly finished off her meal and added, "Vegeta pissing me off added to how badly he was beaten."

Piccolo nodded. "I had assumed that was what was happening." He held out his hand and asked, "Are you ready to start again?"

"You know it." She stepped off the platform and began warming up with stretches. She resumed the fighting pose and punched the air a few times.

Piccolo placed his hands out and grunted as she hit one of his hands. "Are you sure this is how strong you were when you arrived?"

Buffy shrugged. "Seimei seems to think so. Why?"

He shook his left hand. "You managed to hit hard enough to make my hand go numb."

Buffy grinned. "Good."

Piccolo narrowed his eyes at her. "Why is that good?"

"Because I was holding back on that one. I only used ten percent of my power."

Piccolo bared his teeth at her. "We might actually have you in fighting shape before we exit this place."

***

"Damn it, Buffy! That almost did permanent damage!" Piccolo growled as he dropped to the ground, panting. He was half certain that when Seimei was doing the heavy lifting, Buffy was almost bloodthirsty. She became almost as ruthless as Vegeta and had no problems exploiting his weaknesses.

Seeing that she had actually hurt her friend, Buffy powered down and went over to where Piccolo had collapsed. "Are you alright? Should we leave early?"

Piccolo shook his head. "While I'm glad that you and Seimei are almost seamless now, it's entirely too Saiyan for my taste. There is a reason they nearly became extinct."

Buffy sat down next to him. "I know, but right now we need to use every weapon in our arsenal if we just want to survive. Seimei and I were just trying something out to see if it would work."

"Did it have the results you were expecting?" Piccolo laid back to rest. After a minute of silence, he pushed at Buffy's shoulder. "Am I to assume you weren't expecting what happened?"

Buffy lay next to him and stared into the emptiness of the space. "What would you say if what Seimei and I did was the equivalent of a Super Saiyan?"

Piccolo looked over at her and asked, "You were a Super Slayer for that quick instant?"

Buffy turned onto her side and looked at him. "Yes, for that quick instant, I was a Super Slayer and I understood why Goku both shies away and longs for it at the same time. Knowing you have that amount of power can be heady and overwhelming at the same time."

Piccolo was surprised when Buffy threw herself into his arms and began crying. As she lay in his arms, Piccolo felt a surge of love for his friend and was happy he could spend time with her. In an effort to comfort her, he said, "I care for you."

Buffy pulled out of his embrace. Looking him in the eye, she asked, "Did you just admit to having feelings?"

Piccolo pulled away and sat up. He glared at her as she began laughing at him. "If you're going to be that way, I'll just leave you alone the next time you want to be comforted."

"Don't be like that." Buffy came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek and said, "I care for you, too."

Piccolo reached behind to grab her, but she had already moved out of the way. He wiped the excess saliva off his cheek and mumbled, "The things I put up with." He rose from where he was sitting and dodged the ki blast Buffy had sent his way. When he looked at her direction, she made a face at him and disappeared. Back into familiar territory, he powered up and tried to see how long he could keep up with her new power.

***

"We have ten days to get prepared." Goku shook his head at both Vegeta and Trunks the looked at the door of the chamber. Buffy and Piccolo were set to emerge any time now and he wanted to make sure everything was set before they exited.

"Cell said he would find a way to let us know where it's to be held." Trunks kept anxiously looking between his father and the door. "Do you think we should—?"

Goku shook his head. "They will be out soon enough."

Mr Popo came around the corner. "They are getting ready to leave now. Once I replenish supplies, you and Gohan can enter, Goku."

"Thanks, Mr Popo."

Moments after Mr Popo went back around the corner, the door opened and Buffy and Piccolo exited the chamber. Buffy looked around and saw the troubled expressions on Goku, Trunks, and Vegeta's faces. She looked to Piccolo and said, "I think something happened while we were in there."

Goku took a few steps toward Buffy, but stopped when he saw Piccolo shake his head. Goku smiled and said, "Well, Vegeta and Trunks went after Cell and it didn't work out as good as we had hoped."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest and began tapping her foot. "So the plan to neutralize the other androids wasn't followed? What happened to Cell?"

"He set up a tournament that is going to take place in ten days."

"We did it for you," Trunks said.

Buffy whipped her gaze to him. "Why? Because I was having problems?" When he stayed mute, she looked back to Goku. "I thought you knew better." She then turned to Vegeta. She walked over to him and shook her head. "I expected better from you."

He scowled at her and grabbed her left arm. He looked at her and said, "I didn't want to see you hurt again."

Buffy glared at him. "I was fixing that in the chamber." She pulled away and glared at the assembled Saiyans. "I don't know where you got the idea I'm helpless, but that stops now. Goku, I'm telling Chi-Chi, and, Trunks, I'm telling your mom." She turned back to Vegeta. "As for you, the only thing that seems to get through your thick skull is this." She balled up her right fist and punched him right in the nose. She then stalked further into the Lookout to make good on her threats.

Vegeta grabbed his nose and popped it back into place. He glared at Piccolo asked, "Why didn't you stop her?"

Piccolo grinned. "Because I know better."


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _A story for the crossover100 community on livejournal. This and the next few chapters are based off the prompt #7: Days._
> 
>  
> 
> _Also, this chapter is short, but mostly used to help move the story along._

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

Chi-Chi and Bulma were sitting in a common area, spending time with the baby, when Buffy came storming in. She marched over to where they were sitting and flopped down on the floor next to Trunks. After glances passed between the other two women, Chi-Chi asked, "What's wrong, Buffy?"

  
Buffy picked Trunks up and placed him in her lap. She began playing with his toes and smiled at his babbling at her. "Those three made me so disappointed." She looked up at the other women and said, "You would think that Goku and Trunks would know better having you two as role models, but, no, they're just as bad as Vegeta."  
  
Chi-Chi furrowed her brow and pursed her lips. The last time she had heard anything was when Gohan had excitedly ran in and told her he was going to do homework with Dende since the other boy had healed Buffy as much as he was able. "I think Bulma and I are missing a few details."  
  
"Of course. They probably thought that since you were with the baby, you wouldn't know they were up to something stupid." She saw Chi-Chi start to get angry, so she added, "Goku and Gohan have already entered the chamber, so you can't go after them. Trunks and Vegeta are still out though and plan on going back in."  
  
Bulma bared her teeth at the other women. "I hope you were able to scare them with retribution."  
  
Buffy grinned. "I threatened Trunks and Goku with you and Chi-Chi. I punched Vegeta in the nose."  
  
Bulma and Chi-Chi burst out laughing. Bulma wiped her eyes and sighed. "While you and Piccolo were in the chamber, Chi-Chi and I were talking and decided that you would come stay with me for a bit. That way I could give you a tour of the facilities and maybe help you think about your future here."  
  
Buffy was touched that her new friends were looking out for her. She had initially been afraid of what would happen to her one the looming threat was vanquished. She knew she couldn't mooch off Goku and Chi-Chi forever, even though Goku would insist on her staying, and she didn't know anyone beyond her small group of acquaintances. Then she remembered what Goku had said about the Cell Games and lost the good feelings she had been having. "I appreciate the offer, Bulma, but I have to be realistic. I may not survive these Cell Games."  
  
"Cell Games? What Cell Games?!" Chi-Chi panicked. "What are you talking about, Buffy?"  
  
"Wow, they really haven't told you anything." Buffy made herself more comfortable. "From what I gathered before I stormed off is that Trunks and Vegeta screwed up, so Cell set up a tournament that's supposed to take place in ten days."  
  
"Goku might be safe for the moment, but that doesn't mean Trunks and Vegeta are." Bulma stood up and plucked the baby off Buffy's lap. Buffy and Chi-Chi followed her out of the room, curious to see what was going to happen now that Bulma was on a tear. As they neared the room that held the entrance to the chamber, Bulma yelled, "Trunks Briefs! I hope you're going to be a man and take your lumps from your mother!"  
  
Once their small group reached the chamber, Bulma handed Buffy the baby before going after her son. She stopped in front of him and placed her hands on her hips. "While I have no control over your father, I would like to think that my other self raised you to not run off half-cocked." She then turned to Vegeta. "As for you, you're officially Buffy's problem." She paused for an moment and studied his face. "I hope she broke your nose."  
  
Vegeta looked over at Buffy and saw her color at being made responsible for him. He smirked and winked at her when he caught her gaze. He was tempted to do more to rile her up, but decided against it. He had thought about asking her to join him in the chamber when it was his turn again, but was unsure of how she would answer. He watched as Buffy played with his son and was too busy paying attention to her that he didn't notice Bulma was talking to him until she grabbed his ear and gave it a hard tug.  
  
"Now that I have your attention, I was letting both of you know that Buffy will be staying with us at Capsule Corp until the Cell Games are completed. So say your goodbyes and we'll be on our way."  
  
Buffy hugged the older Trunks then turned to Vegeta. "I'm still pissed at you, you know."  
  
"I know." He internally debated something for a moment, then said, "You might be more in a minute." He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. When she started to protest, he silenced her with a kiss.  
  
Buffy moaned and deepened the kiss. This thing between her and Vegeta needed to be resolved soon or it was going to consume them both. She finally pulled away and said, "If I wasn't holding your son right now, I'd slug you."  
  
Vegeta smiled at her. "When this is all over, you and I will have to spar."  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes at him and shifted Trunks to her other hip. "Why is it always about fighting with you?" When he went to answer, she covered his mouth with her hand and said, "I'm sorry I even asked." She left him standing where he was and followed Bulma to their transport. After handing the baby to Bulma, she turned to Chi-Chi and asked, "Are you coming with us?"  
  
Chi-Chi shook her head. "I'm going to wait for Goku and Gohan to exit and will return home with them." She smiled at Buffy and said, "Now, you have a good time with Bulma and don't worry about me."  
  
Buffy climbed into the helicopter and fastened her seat belt. As they were taking off, she looked out the window to wave to Chi-Chi and saw Vegeta standing outside the entrance, watching them leave. She was touched that he took time out from watching the door to see her off. She felt that things were going to change between the two of them once there were no more monsters to fight.

 

* * *

  
"I gotta say, this is a nice place ya have here, Bulma."  
  
"Thanks." Bulma finished showing her around the complex where she, Yamcha, her parents, and Vegeta lived. She slowly rocked Trunks as she showed Buffy her lab. The room was windowless, something she preferred ever since she had seen copies of her inventions made available to the public, and painted a solid white to make the space seem larger. The tiled floors were actually made from a compound of her own making that resisted damage, no matter what she did to it. In one corner was a drafting table and in another was her computer. The center of the space was currently dominated by a large empty table.  
  
"This is where I work at; Dad lets me do all the research and development here. Trunks and Krillin managed to get Cell's blueprints for me and I'll be looking over those later, since I haven't had a chance to yet." After Bulma checked to see if Trunks had fallen asleep yet, she turned to Buffy. "And that's the last room. Feel free to wander around. Just remember to pick a room you would like to be yours and settle in."  
  
Buffy was awed at her friend's generosity. "Thanks, I will." As Bulma was leaving, Buffy added, "Oh, and I am totally gonna take you up on your offer of a job as soon as this whole Cell thing is over."  
  
"Just take your time. There's no need to rush."  
  
Watching Bulma leave, Buffy realized that the other woman was right, that there really was no reason to hurry. But she knew she wouldn't feel right until she repaid some of what she felt she owed this group of people who had taken her in when they didn't know her. She would fight Cell and she would work for Bulma, but first, she needed to find a room and make a list of things she needed.  
  
Her stomach grumbled.  
  
Find a room, then a snack.  
  
She headed to the third floor and began looking at the rooms. While they seemed okay, nothing appealed to her. If she felt like being truthful to herself, she would admit it was because Vegeta's room wasn't on this floor. To prove to herself it wasn't true, she selected a room down from the hall from Trunks' as her default if she didn't find one she didn't love on the next floor. She made her way to the second floor and began looking. She found Vegeta's room easily. While the furnishings were somewhat spartan, the things he did have were of top quality.  
  
She slowly made her way down the hall, peeking into each room. At the end was the type of room she had been searching for. It had it's own attached bath, equipped with a nice tub and shower combo with plenty of room to stretch out. The furnishings were sparse, only a bed and a small wardrobe, but it would last her until she could go out shopping.  
  
Buffy flopped onto the bed and sighed at how soft it was. She wasn't sure if it was because the beds in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber were only made with function in mind, or if was because, for the first time since landing in this world, she was finally in a place that was hers, Buffy felt her eyelids droop and the stress ebb away as she drifted to sleep.

 

* * *

  
While Buffy was getting settled in at Capsule Corp, Vegeta was keeping an eye on the door to the chamber, ready to spring to action the moment it opened. He and Trunks had nearly came to blows over which one of them was going next, but he had eventually made it clear to his son that no matter what happened, he was going to be going next. He was planning on using his time constructively by both training as hard as he could and by reflecting on his relationship with Buffy. There were times he thought he knew how she would react to events, only to be wrong. He originally thought she would be singing his praises when she exited the chamber and even when he screwed up, he thought she would be willing to excuse his behavior. He knew now that thinking that way, at least where she was concerned, caused him nothing but trouble and damage to his face.  
  
He frowned at that thought. Buffy's influence was changing him and he wasn't sure what he thought of it. After all, she had been right to treat him as as enemy when they first met, as well as the few times after that. It had stung his pride that she hadn't softened her stance toward him by that last morning at Kakarot's home.  
  
That had been the start of his downfall.  
  
She had gotten under his skin and caused him to become obsessed with her and the idea of having her submit to his will. Later, he had acknowledged that when he had pinned her to the wall, it was one of the most erotic moments of his life and had caused his preoccupation with her to deepen. He wasn't pleased to admit, even to himself, that those feelings had caused him to focus only on her and not the threat the androids had caused, putting those he cared about in danger.  
  
And that pricked his pride.  
  
He couldn't blame Trunks for not understanding what he meant by pride meaning everything. From what he had managed to overhear, he had died in the other future when the boy had been too young to teach. His son was too young in this time, but he was going to impart upon him the pride of being a Saiyan. Maybe before the games he could impress upon the other Trunks a fraction of what it meant to be a Saiyan.  
  
Vegeta was pulled out of his musings by the sound of the chamber door opening. He looked up at the clock and noticed that Kakarot and his son were leaving the chamber early. Once the door swung open, he found that he could only stare at them.  
  
They were still in their Super Saiyan form.  
  
After thinking about it for a moment, Vegeta realized it made perfect sense. All the energy wasted on transforming could be put to a more constructive purpose. He almost asked Kakarot how he managed to come to the conclusion he did, but refrained from doing so.  
  
He had his pride, after all.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Here's the chapter that caused me to change the rating :)_

****

**

Chapter Eight

**

****

When she finally woke up, nearly a day had passed, and she was starving. Buffy quickly washed her face and drank some water out of the faucet before heading down to the kitchen to get something to eat. She made a couple of sandwiches and grabbed a few of the sweets Bulma's mom had made. She quickly ate her meal and looked at a clock hanging on the wall. If what she remembered was correct, Bulma would most likely be in her lab. Buffy headed there to see if there was anything she could help with.

When Buffy finally found the room, after getting lost _twice_ , she took in the sight before her. On an operating table was a red-headed android, with part of his face blown off, and Dr. Briefs looking inside the chest cavity while Bulma was off to the side looking at two sets of plans.

Not sure where to start, Buffy asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Dr. Briefs looked up. "Ah, nice to finally meet you, Buffy. My Bulma and I were just talking about you. Once everything blows over, I'd be glad to find you a place in the corporation. Any idea of what you would like to do?"

Buffy fidgeted for a moment, thinking back to that awful career day and not knowing what she would like to do if given half a chance. "I'm not sure. I never really had a chance to think about it. Being Called pretty much guaranteed that my life span was limited."

"You know, I never thought of it that way." He petted the little cat on his shoulder. "Well, you say the word and my Bulma will help you."

"Thanks." Buffy then walked over to where Bulma was working and took a glance at the plans. While she didn't know what some of it meant, she understood enough to know that Bulma was looking for similarities between the two sets. Buffy sat on a stool and asked, "What's the plan, boss?"

Bulma swiveled around to see who was talking to her. "Glad to see you finally woke up. If you weren't up in the next hour, I was going to send someone up to see if you were still alive."

Buffy blushed. "Sorry, but the last month in the chamber I didn't get much sleep."

Smiling at her, Bulma turned back to her work. "It's okay. If you weren't exhausted after all that training, I would be worried about you." She motioned toward the plans. "I'm sure you remember the original plan to stop Cell and the androids? We're going to use the same plan, with a few minor changes. Mostly I have to worry about _this_."

Looking at the spot Bulma was pointing to on the blueprints, Buffy asked, "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yep. Thankfully, the original controller I made survived, so only a few things need to be tweaked on the programming end; I'd hate to have to start from scratch. As for our other problem, I still need to think about it."

Hopping off her stool, Buffy said, "When you have that breakthrough, and need my help, just let me know. For now, I'm off to explore."

"If you get lost, just find an intercom. Some one will be able to give you directions to where you want to go from wherever you are."

"Gotcha." Feeling full and up to speed, Buffy left the two to their work and set out to survey the grounds. She spent a few hours enjoying having nothing to do, having peace and quiet for the first time in years. 

She found a secluded spot and made herself comfortable as she thought about what everyone's lives would be like. When she had left, Dawn was just finishing middle school, so she would be a junior and thinking about where to go to college. Maybe she would have a nice, normal boyfriend. Xander and Anya would have gotten married and maybe were expecting their first child. Maybe Willow and Tara were too. Giles would be back in England unless he had been put in charge of Faith again. As for Spike, he would be doing what he usually did, but he would be keeping an eye on Dawn, just like he promised.

Buffy blinked and wiped away a few tears. She might have made a life for herself here, but that didn't mean she didn't miss her family and friends. A part of her would always yearn for home.

Maybe they would help her get the dragon balls and she could have Shenron give her an update on everyone's lives.

Looking around, Buffy spied something that caught her attention. She stood, brushed off the grass sticking to her pants, and headed toward the structure. Buffy opened the door and laughed at what she saw. It seemed that no matter what she did, she couldn't escape Vegeta here. She entered the training pod and could see that the good doctor tried to put in anything that Vegeta could ever want. Smiling at the prospect of surprising him, she shut the door and began training.

* * *

Exiting the chamber, Vegeta felt disappointed that he hadn't significantly powered up. He even trained in that bulky form Trunks had used to see if he could sense a way to the next level, but had been unable to. He knew there was a level beyond Ascended, he could feel it at the bottom of his soul. Maybe he could spar with Buffy and try to see where he needed to work on his technique and if something more were to happen afterward, he certainly wouldn't mind.

He grinned to himself as he had a nice mental image of Buffy flushed from their excursions and scantily clad, making the transition from fighting with him to succumbing to the passions that flowed between them.

"Do you have any tips?"

Vegeta scowled at his son for ruining his daydream. "Try to find a balance. Power isn't helpful if you don't have the speed to be able to use it."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Trunks studied his father for a moment. "You might want to get some rest. You look tired."

Vegeta furrowed his brow as he watched Trunks enter the chamber. He wasn't sure how him giving his son advice equated to him being tired. He knew it was out of character, but he didn't think that was a bad thing. This might just be another way that Buffy might be indirectly influencing his decisions. Did he want to change to feel worthy enough to be with her?

No. He wanted to be accepted as he was.

He flew in the direction of Capsule Corp, determined to find Buffy and settle this at once. He needed to make her understand that he wasn't always a nice man and that he had his pride and wasn't willing to change for her. As he got closer, he could feel her power level rise and knew she was likely in the training pod. He sped up and landed by the front window. He looked inside and thought, for a moment, that he saw two Buffys. He blinked and saw that she was just moving fast. He pressed the button to lower the steps.

Buffy looked toward the entrance as the training program terminated. When she saw him standing in the doorway, she asked, "Did you exit early?"

Instead of answering her, he ascended the steps and stopped in front of her. "I'm not a nice man."

"I know that."

"I won't change for you."

"I wasn't going to ask you to." Buffy sighed. "I like that you're not always nice and don't necessarily care about what others think of you. However, that doesn't mean I agree with what you do all the time." She brushed some hair out of her face. "There were times I couldn't get you out of my head and while that first kiss was a shock, it wasn't unwelcome."

"Really?" Vegeta pulled off his gloves and grinned at her. He pulled off his chest armor and threw it to the side. He reached out and pulled the tie out of her hair and threaded his hands through the long locks. He brought his hands up to frame her face and brushed a thumb over her lips. He rested his forehead against hers, their noses bumping. He smiled as he watched her eyelids flutter shut, remembering a time she didn't trust him enough to take her gaze off him. "You have no idea how tempting a picture you make right now."

Buffy opened her eyes and looked at him, seeing for the first time that behind the cocky exterior he was vulnerable when it pertained to her. "Trust and vulnerability have always been a hard thing for me after being Called." She hoped he was able to read between the lines and see that she understood what it meant to him, this trust and faith she had in him. As a physical example of her trust in him, she placed her hand on his chest and was surprised at how much it affected him. "Has no one ever touched you like this."

"None with your intentions." Vegeta swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He felt that if he didn't kiss her soon, his world would end. He tilted her face toward his and softly kissed her. His inner self demanded that he exert control and make her _his_ , but he ignored it and wanted to have her set the pace for once.

Buffy could sense his hesitation to just give in and surrender to what his instincts were telling him to do. As much as she wanted him to take the first step, she knew what he was doing was some sort of a test and she was afraid that she would pick the wrong answer.

_'Just give in.'_

Buffy almost started at Seimei's voice, but managed not to. _'I'm scared of what it might mean.'_

_'No, you're scared that if he sees the real you, he'll leave. You have to just take the leap.'_

Knowing Seimei was right, Buffy gave in. She wrapped her arms around Vegeta's neck and pulled him closer. She deepened the kiss by nibbling on his bottom lip, trying to get him to open his lips and let her in.

He opened his mouth to her seeking tongue and pulled her tighter to him. Their tongues dueled for dominance, and when he was able to take the first swipe into her mouth, his senses were filled with the essence that made up this maddening woman. He pulled away and began planting kisses along her jawline and neck. He ghosted over the scars on her neck, lightly scraping them with his teeth, causing her to moan and clutch at his shoulders.

He slipped his hands under the back of her shirt and was pleasantly surprised to discover how soft her skin was. There were times she held herself to be made of iron, and while he could feel the strength of her back, he could feel her vulnerability as well. He explored every inch of skin, from her shoulders to the base of her spine, and knew he would find the same mixture of softness and strength throughout the rest of her body. It was an intoxicating thing to discover.

She was enjoying his kisses, but when his hands stole under her shirt, she felt her nerve endings catch fire. His touch alternated from tentative to purposeful and back again, causing her to go crazy. Glad he had already ditched his over armor, she grabbed at where it was torn in the back with both hands and tore it with an impatient abandon. When he pulled away, a little startled at her attentions, she took advantage by pulling his sleeves down his arms, exposing his torso to her gaze. She ran a hand from his pecs down to his abs, admiring the expanse of skin before her and unconsciously licking her lips.

At that, Vegeta launched himself at her, pulling her close and kissing her hard enough to take her breath away. He pulled the two of them to the floor and grabbed the front of her shirt, preparing to pull it over her head.

"I'd hate to interrupt what looks like a good reunion, but I thought I'd let the two of you know you're about to give the neighborhood a free show."

Both of them turned to look at the doorway and saw that the steps were still down, giving whoever happened to pass by an eye full. Buffy blushed and climbed out from under Vegeta. She hit the button to close the steps, then hit the button on the intercom. "Thanks for the heads up, Bulma."

"No problem."

Buffy turned to Vegeta and saw he hadn't moved from his spot on the floor. She sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "While I was enjoying what we were doing a few moments ago, I think there is one thing that needs to be said before we go any further." She caught his gaze and fought the urge to just kiss him. "We don't let this thing we have between us effect anything else. Whatever happens between us, stays between us."

"Deal." He pulled her into his lap and grabbed the hem of her shirt. He slowly inched the edge of her shirt up as he said, "I think we were right here."

Buffy helped him out by unlatching her arms from around his neck and lifting her arms over her head. She smiled at his quick intake of breath at seeing her bared to his gaze as he pulled off her shirt. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him to her. When she had him surrounded by her limbs, she said, "There is one thing I forgot to mention." She slowly breathed in and out, working up the courage to tell him her past. "I'm not sure if it'll be any good. All the other men I slept with took off running the first chance they got."

"They were fools." Vegeta reached behind him and felt for her feet. He peeled off her socks and shoes then ran his hands up her still-clad thighs and said, "They obviously didn't realize what a gift you were." He caught her mouth with his and slowly stoked the fire he knew was burning within her. He held her to his chest with such a fierce grip, one would think someone was planning to take her away from him.

She returned his kiss with an equal fervor, then pulled away and began planting kisses along his jawline toward his ear as her hand pulled his under armor further down.

Vegeta broke contact and gripped her wrist when her hand started to dip below his navel. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to get a sneak peek?" She knew she could probably break his grip on her wrist, but that would also cause her fun to end. "C'mon, don't leave a gal hanging."

He pried her legs from around his waist and set her to the side. He stood and quickly stripped to the skin.

Trying not to gape like a fish, Buffy leaned back to take in the sight of him. He was well-muscled and had a few scars, but that didn't detract from his appeal any bit.

He was _magnificent_.

Feeling a muscle tick in his cheek, Vegeta was beginning to get impatient. While he was enjoying her open leering—it was doing wonders for his ego—he wanted her to _act_. He moved toward her in an effort to remind her what it was they were in the middle of doing when she suddenly stood and removed the remainder of her clothing.

Now, both naked, they stood for a moment, just admiring one another. Then Buffy pounced on Vegeta, knocking him to the floor, taking pleasure in the grunt she elicited from him. She straddled his hips, then slowly sank down on his hardened member. Both were still for a moment—he was trying not to finish quickly and she was adjusting to his length and girth—then Buffy began slowly moving along his shaft.

Vegeta gripped her hips and helped her establish a rhythm. He could hear the little moans that caught in the back of her throat and was pleased he affected her so. He had been waiting for this for so long, he attempted to keep himself a little detached so as to keep from finishing sooner than he would have liked, but the whimpers of pleasure coming from Buffy kept drawing him back in.

Feeling like her attention was elsewhere, Buffy reached down and pinched a nipple. When he glared up at her, she said, "I'm not going to be the only one participating here."

He growled at her and pulled her down for a kiss. He pinned her to him as he plunged in and out at a furious pace. He heard her gasp and felt her inner walls flutter around him, before he suddenly stopped. When she tried to move, he held her harder as she squirmed against him. He nipped at her ear and asked, "Are you starting to feel desperate yet?" He flipped her over and pinned her wrists above her head, before he began moving at a much slower pace.

She arched up into him and let out a frustrated whine when he continued at his agonizingly slow pace. "Vegeta, why are you torturing me?"

He softly laughed. "You've been torturing me since the moment you arrived. Can you fault me for wanting to savor the moment?"

"When you—ah—put it that way, no." She wrapped her legs around his waist and let out a long moan when he hit a particularly good spot. "But if we hurry, we can find a much more comfortable spot to continue."

"A woman after my own heart." He captured her mouth in a heated kiss and snaked a hand between their bodies to hurry things along. With a few flicks of his thumb across her clit, she tumbled over the edge, pulling him with her.


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

"Glad to see you decided to surface for air."

Buffy blushed as she helped herself to some cereal from the cupboard. She and Vegeta had been making up for years of pent up tension, only stopping to have a very late supper and to sleep. "I needed to eat and Vegeta wanted to do some more training."

"Nice side step." Bulma sipped her coffee before flashing Buffy a grin. "If it makes you feel any better, after Trunks slept through the night for a whole week, Yamcha and I celebrated like that."

Giggling, Buffy said, "No, but I'm glad you sympathize." She took a bite of cereal and chewed thoughtfully, unsure of how to ask something that had been bothering her. Deciding to be blunt, she asked, "Why didn't you tell me he was a demon in the sack?"

Choking on her coffee, Bulma barely managed to ask, "Vegeta?" Seeing the other woman's affirmative nod, she added, "He wasn't one with me. I told you months ago, I wasn't the one he _really_ wanted to be with that night."

"He admitted as such." She ate another bite of cereal, nearly missing Bulma's incredulous look. She smiled and said, "What? We had to do _something_ while he recovered."

Bulma scrunched up her nose and made a disgusted face. "There are some things I just don't need to know." She looked at her watch and softly swore. "I need to get going. I almost have the remote operational and Sixteen is almost ready to reboot. How about I take you to lunch tomorrow and we get you some extra clothes?"

Looking down at what she was wearing—her only pair of pants and least faded of the three shirts she owned—and said, "Sounds good." She stood and took care of her bowl. "You have fun with your tinkering; I'm going to try to find a spot to work on my Tai Chi."

Bulma watched as the blonde almost bounced out of the room. She was glad her friend was happy; she was glad that Vegeta was happy too. He had even managed a smile when Bulma ran into him earlier. As long as everything with Cell worked out, everyone would be happy. And with that thought, Bulma found herself humming some random tune as she headed to her lab.

* * *

Trunks exited the chamber, feeling slightly disappointed that he hadn't been able to get to the next level. He did, however, manage to find a good balance between power and maneuverability like his father had suggested.

He thanked both Dende and Mr Popo for their hospitality, then took off for Capsule Corp. He landed in the side yard and headed toward the back after he felt for any energy signatures. He found Buffy practicing the fluid motions of Tai Chi; he had tried it once, but had been unable to achieve the same state of fluidity that she did.

Buffy had only just been able to maintain her pose when she felt Trunks fly up. As she moved to the next pose, she had seen him approach, then stop to watch her. She kept her breathing even as she contemplated the young man. She could tell he had gotten a little stronger, but she worried what all that time alone had done for his mental status.

_'Incoming.'_

Buffy side-stepped, neatly dodging Vegeta's incoming tackle. She smoothly weaved around his kicks and punches before she grabbed his fist as it whizzed past her nose. She grinned at him as she took in his scowling face. "It appears you can't surprise me any more. Seimei can feel your energy."

His scowl morphed into a smirk as she let go of his fist. "I feel like I should be pleased." He stole a quick kiss, then said, "Bulma asked me to come get you. It seems like she might have some good news for us." He looked at Trunks and added, "Your mother saw you fly in and wants you to join us as well."

Baffled by his father's nearly-pleasant demeanor, Trunks fell in step with them as they walked to the lab. He nudged Buffy with his elbow and said, "I assume you and my father finally came to an understanding."

"You assume correctly." Buffy smiled as she caught a glance of his gobsmacked expression. She nudged him back and asked, "Did you break through?"

"No, but I did take my father's advice and found a good balance between power and speed."

"Glad you know when to defer to my wisdom."

Glaring at his father for interjecting in his conversation with Buffy, Trunks said, "Good advice is good advice, no matter the source."

Vegeta growled as he asked, "Are you trying to start something, boy?"

Buffy looked up and sighed. She had been hoping the two men would have pushed aside their egos for a few moments, but she should have been hoping for something more obtainable, like Cell deciding to kill himself. A stray thought crossed her mind and after she concentrated a moment, and asked in the middle of his squabbling with Trunks, "How did Bulma see Trunks fly up in her windowless lab?"

Huffing, Vegeta said, "Does it really matter? She has news in the battle against Cell; the boy should come along and hear it as well."

"You lied to me."

Trunks flinched at the cold tone her voice took on. He stopped to watch her and wasn't completely surprised when her fist lashed out and punched Vegeta in the arm. He saw her shut down emotionally as she brushed past them. He grabbed Vegeta's arm as the man went to rush after her. He lowered his voice and said, "There's something both Buffy's have in common. There are two ways to get on her bad side. The first is to mess with her friends and family."

"And the second?" Vegeta ground out testily as he pulled his arm out of his son's grip.

"Lying to her."

* * *

Bulma tried to hide the smile that formed as Buffy, who had been stomping mad, entered the lab and saw a rebooted Sixteen for the first time. Grabbing the smaller woman by the elbow, Bulma steered Buffy toward a chair and addressed the android. "Sixteen, this is Buffy. She wasn't included in your original programming, so I added her data to your files."

Getting over her shock, Buffy said, "If I hadn't seen you mangled on the table, I would think you were a human."

"Thank you. Bulma and Dr Briefs worked very hard to repair the damage Cell had caused."

Turning back to Bulma, Buffy asked, "Did you manage to neutralize the new problem?"

"Yep." Bulma rapped her knuckles on Sixteen's chest plate. "Thanks to Big Red here. Turns out Gero liked to put fail-safes in _all_ of his androids. When Dad and I tore Sixteen's chest cavity open, we were able to get a good view of what was actually going on in there."

"Nice." Buffy looked Sixteen over again and was surprised to see Dr Briefs' cat nestled in the android's lap. Smiling, she said to the android, "You are just full of surprises." She then exited the room, ignoring both Trunks and Vegeta.

Trunks shook his head as his father took off after Buffy. Trust Vegeta to want to learn the hard way. He turned to his mother and asked, "Were you able to get rid of the 'Kill Goku' programming?"

Nodding, Bulma said, "I simply re-programmed it. Instead of 'Kill Goku', it's now 'Help Goku'. It's a good think Yamcha has been taking care of Little Trunks." Bulma motioned in the direction Buffy and Vegeta took off in and asked, "So, how does seeing that up close and personal feel?"

Staring at her like she had lost her mind, Trunks warily answered, "Like seeing you and Yamcha together."

Smirking, Bulma said, "I never knew you had a thing for Yamcha."

"I don't!" Trunks protested. He sat in a chair and began seeing this version of his mother in a new light. This Bulma hadn't gone through the hardships of his future and seemed more lighthearted. He let his gaze wander around the room and saw all the designs for different gadgets had her signature on every last one of them. If it was something that both Bulma's had in common it was that they were both fearsomely intelligent and unafraid to put it to good use.

"It always surprises me how similar you and your future counterpart are, while the two Buffys are so dissimilar."

Bulma smiled. It seemed as if her son was _finally_ using the brain she knew he had inherited from her. "I think that's the point Buffy has been trying to make to you all along."

Blushing, Trunks raked a hand through his hair. "I know. I just have a hard time thinking when she's around."

"I know you didn't ask for it, but here's some advice. Pretend she's your girlfriend's best friend; she's someone who knows a lot about her, but is off limits."

Trunks nodded to himself, then began pouring over plans. Maybe he would find something his mother had missed.

* * *

"Buffy!"

She picked up the pace until she was nearly running away from Vegeta. Normally, she would confront someone when she found out they were lying to her, but she was afraid of the anger that welled up inside her. She was stunned when she had punched him in the arm and was even more stunned to realize that she wanted to continue hitting him until the proud man was broken and kneeling at her feet, begging for forgiveness.

A hand enclosed over her upper arm, startling her. She blindly swung out in the hope it would cause the person to let go of her. She heard a grunt as she connected, but the grip on her arm remained strong. She kicked and lashed out as she was dragged into an empty room, landing a few hits, but never managing to break free. With tears in her eyes, she looked up at Vegeta and asked, "Can you just leave me alone?"

He fought the urge to pull her into his arms by letting go of her arm and taking a step away from her. He had been trying to force her to his side from the moment they met and was beyond frustrated that although they had taken a step in the right direction, Buffy liked to move at her own pace. He folded his arms over his chest and asked, "I have been unable to leave you alone from the first time you broke my nose; what makes you think I'm capable of it now?"

She groaned and placed her face in her hands. She should have known that she couldn't out-stubborn the man, for he was the one of the few people that had been able to beat her in that department. After all, the man had waited for five years and had stubbornly insisted all the while that they would be together, one way or the other. She had been willing to take a chance, but was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Everyone else had left when the going got tough—why should he be any different?

"I know we're nowhere near ready to have this conversation," she mumbled into her hands, "but you need to know that no matter how much I push and try to shove you away, you can't leave me." She lifted her gaze to look into his eyes, blinking in an effort to make her tears go away. "And I _will_ push you. I know I can be difficult and hard to get along with. And some days I will be terrible, but I need you to push back and _never_ leave me."

Slowly unfolding his arms, Vegeta studied her features and was awed, like he always was, by her ability to stay strong when she was at her most vulnerable. He took the two steps needed to close the distance between them and gently grasped her neck at the base of her skull. Looking into her eyes, he said, "I will allow you to push and try to shove me away, but I warn you, I have worked too hard and too long to make you see things my way to easily let you go."

A soft moan left her lips as he massaged the tense spot in her neck. Her gaze dropped to his mouth, causing the sudden flash of the memory of his mouth trailing along the inside of her thigh. She looked back up at him and saw his eyes darken in lust. Buffy flattened a palm against his chest, unsure if she was trying to push him away or pull him closer. "Every time we have a serious discussion, you want to jump my bones."

Keeping his grip on her neck, Vegeta placed his other hand on her waist and pulled her closer. "I find your seriousness very arousing." He captured her lips in a kiss, purposefully using only a slight pressure to entice her into deepening the kiss.

After a moment, Buffy pulled away. "I'm still mad at you."

"I know," Vegeta said as he tried to initiate another kiss.

"Eventually, you won't be able to make me forget why I'm mad at you just by kissing me."

Smirking at her, Vegeta dropped the hand at Buffy's waist and grabbed her hip, pulling her flush against him. He ground his arousal into her stomach and felt satisfied when he saw her eyes widen and heard a low whimper leave her parted lips. "Until that day happens, I'm just going to have to press my advantage wherever I can."

Willing to do almost anything to see him in almost bad a state as she was in, Buffy pulled him closer and hitched a leg over his hip. She nipped at his earlobe and smiled when she felt a growl rumble through his chest. "Since you feel like trying to control me, here's a thought for you." She gave him a kiss fierce enough to take both of their breath away, then said, "I can rile you up as much as you do me; I'm just much better at self-denial than you are." She then pulled away and managed to slip out of his grasp, as well as the room, while his mind was still clouded with lust.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter based off prompt #7: Days.

Enjoying the peace that had settled over the compound, Trunks was watching the news when Vegeta came storming into the room and flopped onto the couch beside him. He thought about engaging his father in conversation about something he had come up with in the strategy to help them defeat Cell. Yet, when he caught a glimpse of his father's expression, he stopped himself. Instead, he tried to hide his smile as Vegeta huffed and crossed his arms in displeasure. Deciding to pick on his father a little bit, he asked, "So, how's the training going?"

The older man gave him a withering glare. "Not as well as I had hoped."

Enjoying himself, Trunks took a sip of his drink and asked, "Does that mean you haven't been able to find Buffy and spar with her yet?"

"No. The blasted woman disappeared after our argument yesterday and I haven't seen her since." Vegeta fidgeted to make himself comfortable. "I've looked every where I thought she could be."

No longer hiding his smile, Trunks grinned at his father's petulance. He guess he should have seen it coming when Buffy abruptly ended their conversation and bolted from the room a few minutes before the other man entered. In an attempt to seem nonchalant, he remarked, "Maybe she senses you coming and to avoid a conflict, she runs away."

Vegeta looked at his son skeptically, wondering where he received such insights. After thinking about it for a moment, he asked, "I just missed her didn't I?"

"Yep." Trunks returned his attention to the news, then remarked offhandedly, "You might want to suppress your power level when you go looking for her."

The other man grunted out, "Thanks," as he left the room to resume his search.

* * *

"I can't always be the one doing the chasing."

Buffy looked toward the doorway of her bedroom and was amazed to see Vegeta standing there, leaning against the doorjamb. She hadn't been considerate of his feelings over the past three days so, she was even more astounded to see the smile on his face. She turned so her entire body was facing him and propped her head on her hand as she watched him enter her room, prior to shutting and locking the door. "I know. I just needed some time to think things out. Sometimes it seems like we're moving too fast."

Vegeta slowly stalked toward her. "So Bulma told me when I ran into her yesterday." He sat on the edge of her bed by her feet and ran a hand up her calf. "By the way, it was quite clever of you to stay by her until the last moment before you could escape."

"Well, it was Bulma's idea." She leaned back so she could watch him massage her calf. She had been feeling tense ever since the last time she had seen him and just being in his presence helped some of the tension she had been carrying around dissipate. She didn't like even the idea of being away from him, but sometimes, some alone time helped set priorities straight. "I'm sorry about what happened the other day. It wasn't fair of me to use sex as a weapon while we were arguing."

Voice gruff, Vegeta said, "I'm sorry as well." He stretched out next to her and brushed some hair away from her face. "I have a hard time sharing you with others. I know you are with me, but that doesn't make it any easier."

Buffy smiled at him as she brushed a hand along his cheekbone. She lightly trailed her fingers along his forehead, nose, and lips, attempting to permanently etch his face into her mind. Her smile widened as he mirrored her movements. Feeling lighter than she had in days, she nipped at the pad of his thumb as it brushed her lips, causing his swift intake of breath. She caught his gaze and said, "Three days is an awfully long time."

Taking in the image of Buffy trying to look innocent, Vegeta was certain she was going to drive him to an early grave. She had quickly learned that whenever she nipped at him, it caused his more animalistic side to come out. When she leaned in and nibbled along his neck toward his ear, he barely bit back the growl he felt rising in his chest. He rolled her over so she was laying on her back, his legs entwined with hers, and said to her, "I hope this means you period of self-denial is over."

"Self-denial is so overrated." She grabbed his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss. She slid her tongue into his mouth and reveled in the taste of him. She had always enjoyed kissing, but had never been as completely overwhelmed as she did whenever their lips met.

He took a moment to savor the flavor that was the absolute essence of the woman lying beneath him. Vegeta then grabbed the covers on either side of Buffy and let her lead, curious about where she would take them. He moaned into her mouth as her hand stole under his shirt and caressed the skin underneath. It made him smile against her mouth as he heard her purr of pleasure. He shifted his hips to relieve the pressure of his erection along the inseam of his pants, moaning as Buffy shifted her hips with his. He broke the kiss and asked the passionate woman beneath him, "Are you trying to drive me insane?"

She smiled up at him, lightly panting from their exertions. "If I do, will it make you go any faster?"

"No," he all but growled at her. "It would convince me to drive you as insane as you do me."

"Really?" She let her fingers wander up to where the scar crossed his chest. She traced the slightly raised skin and was pleased at the hiss that escaped his lips as she accidentally brushed a nipple. "What would you do to me?"

He flashed her a smile, baring all his teeth at her. He unclenched one of his fists and trailed it down her side. Sliding his fingers under her shirt, he used feather-light touches as he explored the small strip of skin just above her waistband. As she undulated under him, he kept his touch light, refusing to either increase the pressure he was using or the area he was concentrating on. He brushed his thumb across her navel, and when she whined in frustration, he looked her in the eye and asked, "Are you going crazy yet? Or do I need to continue?"

She arched her hips to meet his, her frustration growing as he moved out of the way. She grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it up to expose the skin there to her gaze. She bunched the fabric in her hands and tried to yank it over his head, feeling a flash of triumph until his hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist. She looked at where his hand covered his arm and pleaded with him, "Please take it off or touch me or something. Anything!"

"Am I driving you crazy yet?"

"Yes!"

"Good." He stripped off his shirt, chuckling as Buffy did the same. Spotting her bra, he ran his fingers over the lace and remarked, "Well, this is new."

"I bought it as part of my day out with Bulma yesterday. She insisted that I buy something that would drive you crazy." She hummed as he continued to stroke the lace, catching his smile as she arched up into his hand. Feeling bold, she added, "I'm waiting to wear the thing I thought would drive you crazy for a special occasion."

The hand caressing her stilled. In a low voice, Vegeta asked, "Do you think I need some sort of thing like that to stay interested in you, like Bulma does to keep that human's interest?" When she shook her head no, a wicked smile crossed his face as he drew his finger along the fabric of her bra and said, "I hope you're not too attached to this."

Her gasp echoed throughout the room as he tore the fabric from her body. She threaded her hands through his hair as he placed greedy open-mouthed kisses along her collarbone. Her pulse seemed to race faster as traced the scar at her neck with his tongue. She gripped the waistband of his pants and slid them down his hips, dragging his underwear down as well. Her keening cry reverberated off the walls as he latched onto a nipple and sucked. Her back arched off the bed as he nibbled around the aureola, lightly blowing a stream of air across the nipple.

He abandoned her breast for something else that held his interest. He placed soft kisses down her abdomen as he grasped the waistband of her shorts and underwear and stripped them off her. He stood and stripped his remaining clothes off before he climbed back into bed and settled between her thighs. He kissed the inside of her left thigh, smiling as he felt the muscles quiver under his touch. The breathy gasp that followed him kissing a spot higher on her thigh only spurred him on.

Her hands clutched his hair as his tongue flickered out and caressed her folds. After only a few passes, she cried out his name as she found completion.

Quickly slithering up her body, Vegeta caught her mouth in a kiss as he slowly sheathed himself in her welcoming heat. Determined to watch her come undone again, he framed her face with her hands as he stared into her eyes. He pressed his forehead and matched his breathing to hers. "When you're like this," he panted at her, "you make me want to forget everything: my name, my heritage, and even my pride."

She reached up to cup his cheek. Keeping his gaze, she replied, "You make me think that jumping into that portal, taking me away from my friends and family, was the best decision I ever made."

For a few moments only the sound of the rhythmic squeak of bed springs could be heard. Vegeta dropped one of his hands from her face before he declared, "After this business with Cell is over, we are going to give this a real shot. No more running away for either of us."

Buffy nodded in agreement. "Yes, no more running." She then grinned at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Are you proposing that we spend the rest of our time together in this fashion?"

Slithering a hand between them, he replied, "Not all of it. I still want to spar with you."

Trying to concentrate more on what he was saying, rather than what he was doing, she replied, "Fine, but that will have to wait until tomorrow." Giving into the sensations, she moaned, "Tonight, you're mine."

Satisfied he won, Vegeta said, "Agreed," before he settled back to the serious business of making Buffy scream his name.

* * *

After Vegeta had been bragging about finally getting to spar with Buffy, a majority of the inhabitants of Capsule Corp crammed into the training pod for an impromptu sparring tournament. It was decided that Yamcha was only going to spar with Buffy, then she, Sixteen, Trunks, and Vegeta would take turns pairing up with Yamcha deciding the winner. They had decided to follow Piccolo's sparring rules: no powering up, no ki blasts, and no aiming for the face.

When Vegeta began complaining about there being any rules, Buffy smiled at him sweetly and said, "If you really want me to, I can be sure to break your nose again."

Remembering the deadly accuracy she seemed to gain whenever she aimed for his face, Vegeta grudgingly said, "I guess the rules are fair enough."

Smiling at the exchange, Yamcha closed the door to the pod, then moved to the area that had been set aside for the matches. When Buffy joined him, he said, "Thanks for letting me spar with you. Ever since the others went to Namek, the only other one I can keep up with is Krillin and after a while he gets predictable."

Waving him off, Buffy said, "It's not a problem. To be honest, I'm half-afraid that after sparring with Gohan, Goku, and Piccolo I've forgotten how to expect an unfamiliar opponent's moves." She quickly stretched out and asked, "Do we want to impose a time-limit? I have a feeling that if we don't, Vegeta will monopolize my time until he could take me away."

"I think half an hour per round would be fine," Yamcha said as he mimicked he movements.

"I agree. Half an hour would be an adequate amount of time to declare a winner," Sixteen said as he turned his attention toward the two fighters.

"Well, that settles it then." Yamcha assumed a fighting stance and raised his arms to protect his face. "Ready?"

Settling into a pose like Yamcha's, Buffy replied, "As ready as I'll ever be."

They started slowly for different reasons. Yamcha was trying to get a feel for his opponent; Buffy was trying to make sure she wasn't hurting hers. After the first few blows were traded, they picked up the pace. She barely dodged a blow to the abdomen as she whiffed a kick past his head. In retaliation, Yamcha kneed her in the abdomen as he blocked a punch.

Buffy took a step back to catch her breath and grinned. It had been a while since she had had this much fun. She lunged at him and waited until the last second to jump up and purposely miss his face. When he stumbled back, she dropped to the ground and swept his feet out from under him. Staying in her crouched position, she asked, "You alright there?"

Yamcha pushed himself up onto his elbows. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little rusty." He gave her his most disarming smile as he slowly rose to his feet, then quickly lashed out with his fist, connecting with her shoulder, knocking Buffy off balance and onto her butt.

Jumping up, Buffy remembered Piccolo's fourth rule.

When sparring, everyone is an enemy.

With that in mind, Buffy firmly planted her feet and squared her shoulders while she waited for Yamcha's next blow. Determined to only block, she watched his next punch come toward her.

"Time."

Stopping mid-punch, Yamcha looked toward Trunks and asked, "Has it really been half an hour or is Vegeta yanking our chains?"

Looking at his watch, Trunks said, "According to my watch you still have five minutes."

"That's good enough for me," Yamcha said as he resumed his punch.

Since Buffy saw it coming, she easily dodged the punch. She pulled up a knee to block his kick, then pulled up her arm to block another punch. After a few more blocks, she spotted an opening.

Her fist connected with his gut.

He dropped to his knees while holding the spot where Buffy punched him. He looked up at where the blonde was standing and saw the concern on her face. He managed to wheeze out, "I'm okay. That last punch sure packed a wallop."

Both Buffy and Trunks moved to help Yamcha up, with Trunks marginally beating her. While Trunks was helping Yamcha up and over to the side, Buffy walked up to Vegeta and thumped him on the arm. When he glared at her, she said, "If you hadn't jumped the gun, I wouldn't have thumped you."

Deciding not to comment, Vegeta changed the topic. "The only way I'll put up with this foolish time limit is if you and I can spar later; a no-holds barred and no time-limit match." He pulled Buffy close and whispered into her ear, "I want to work you up, then have my wicked way with you without an audience."

Buffy felt a shiver of lust race down her spine. Thinking about something he had told her before, she wrapped an arm around his waist and asked, "On a scale of one to ten, how much did you want the scenario at Goku's to work in your favor?"

Vegeta felt his throat tighten as he answered. "Ten. Part of the reason I like riling you up." He brushed some of the hair away from her face and smiled at her. "That spark you get when you are determined to show me how wrong I am stirs something in me."

"Maybe when this is over, you and I could work on that," Buffy said with a wink. As she walked away, she could feel Vegeta's gaze following her. Smug, she stepped up to Sixteen and held out her hand to the android. Smiling as he stared at her outstretched hand, she clasped his and shook it, telling him, "It's a sign of goodwill."

Staring at their joined hands, Sixteen asked, "Is this customary on your world?"

Shrugging, Buffy said, "Sometimes," Dropping his hand, she then turned to Yamcha. Glad she didn't injure him too badly, she said to him, "You keep track of the time and we'll go on your mark."

Vegeta stood apart from the other two to watch his woman spar with the android. He attempted to be as objective as possible, but found himself unable to do so. The battle against the other androids had been too chaotic for him to watch her, but now that he was able, he could see why she had been confident from the beginning. Her movements, while purposeful were so fluid it was like watching the ebb and flow of the tide. He saw that while she had a smile on her face, a steely glint of determination lit in her eyes. He could tell she was filing away the feeling of fighting with the android away for another day.

The thirty minutes elapsed, then it was Vegeta's turn with his son. He took his place in the makeshift arena and took a moment to study the boy. Vegeta had never really noticed how Trunks held himself, but the young man before him looked as if he had already accepted defeat. Vegeta barked at him, "Straighten up! Take pride in the fact you are one of the Earth's greatest warriors!"

Trunks straightened his posture and looked his father in the eyes. His father was right, he _did_ have something he could be proud of. As he kept his father's gaze, he adopted a fighting pose and said, "Let's do this."

Mimicking Trunks' pose, Vegeta said, "Show me what you have learned."

Sitting on the sidelines, Buffy was unsure of who she should cheer for. She knew that rooting for Trunks could help build his self-esteem. Although, if she rooted for anyone other than Vegeta, he would get jealous and possibly cause another fight.

She settled for cheering for both of them.

She watched the two men square off the lunge for one another when Yamcha gave the signal. The rapid sequence of punches and kicks floored her. She studied both of their moves and was struck by how similar their fighting styles actually were. They both fought with an intensity that bordered on ferocious, striking fast and taking no quarter. The difference was apparent when someone looked at their faces. Trunks' mouth was set in a grim line, only moving when he made a move that didn't suit his plan of attack. Vegeta, on the other hand, had a grin that split his face every time Trunks managed to either block or evade an attack.

Buffy felt her breath catch in her throat when she realized what she was seeing was Vegeta taking pride in his son. She felt her heart skip a beat as his gaze slid to her and she could see his emotions change. What she saw made her wish that she had met Vegeta before she had been too damaged and jaded by life.

As fast as she could blink, Vegeta was once again focused on the fight. Once the final blows had been traded, Vegeta walked up to Buffy and pulled her to him. "I now understand why Father forbid women from watching the men practice." He pressed his forehead to hers after he stole a quick kiss. "Men would be too busy showing off to do anything else."

She smiled at him. "I'm sure there were women who would sneak in to watch." She turned him around so they could watch Trunks and Sixteen fight. Standing behind him, she looped her arms around his waist and rested her chin on his shoulder. After a few minutes of watching the match, Buffy said, "He fights like you."

He tensed under her touch, causing her to chuckle. She kissed the soft spot under his ear to placate him. "It's obvious he idolizes you. His fighting style is his own, but he heavily borrowed from you."

Vegeta took her words into consideration as he watched Trunks. He could see himself in the way the young man stood and in the calculating manner he threw each punch. Then, for a split second, a look crossed Trunks' face that was entirely Vegeta's; a quick quirk of the lips that told him Trunks knew that if this was a real match, the boy would win.

Vegeta started when Buffy pulled away to let him take his turn with the android. Judging by the shell-shocked look on her lover's face, she assumed he finally saw the same thing she did. She chuckled to herself when he barely dodged the punch Sixteen sent his direction. She almost felt sorry for him, but it was fun to shake him up once and a while.

After a few minutes, Vegeta managed to pull himself together enough to not do too poor a showing. When it was over, he was disgusted with himself for being distracted by the revelation that Trunks managed to grow up idolizing him even though he had been unable to be there for the boy. 

He watched Buffy and his son spar and almost envied the playfulness they were able to have. It seemed like Trunks had managed to put his romantic feelings for Buffy aside and had become friends with her. He didn't listen to their banter, but he caught the smile in Trunks eyes and heard the laughter escape Buffy when his son said something determined to catch her off balance.

He clenched his hands together and willed himself to stay where he was. He had promised Buffy he would try to keep his jealousy in check, but watching her have this easy camaraderie with anyone made him want to hit something. Especially since it seemed that he always had to work so hard just to be on equal footing with her.

As she finished with Trunks, Buffy looked over at Vegeta and was saddened by the look on his face. She would like to feel like she had gotten better at reading him and the vacant stare he was now showing told her that something was bothering him. She walked over to him and laid a hand on his forearm, feeling the wind knocked out of her as he gathered her close. She ran her hands over his back in an effort to soothe him.

She motioned to Trunks to take the others out of the training pod, knowing that what was going to happen between them would be better off without an audience. When the door shut behind the others, leaving Buffy and Vegeta to their privacy, Buffy pried herself away from Vegeta. After a moment, she adopted a fighting stance and asked, "Ready?"

Nodding, Vegeta adopted a similar pose and lashed out with a fist. He stayed silent as he lashed out with various punches and kicks, varying his speed and not giving her any warning.

While Vegeta was silent, Buffy kept up a steady stream of conversation. She chatted about the weather, life back in Sunnydale, and anything that came to her mind. She shied away from talking about the Cell Games, and Cell in general. She was talking about Spike, of all people, when Vegeta finally returned from the place he had retreated to to think.

"This vampire was forced to change his nature and become good?"

Glad he was finally communicating back, she answered him. "Surprisingly, yes. He even told me he loved me."

Growling at her, Vegeta snapped out, "You just pick up men wherever you go."

Returning his verbal blow with a physical one, Buffy snapped back, "I've only been with four men. Four! And that's counting you, you idiot!" She lashed out again. "I never was with Spike, made that painfully clear to him, and only one was ever a mistake!" Kicking out, her toes connected with his shin forcing Vegeta to take a step back.

Glad that things were starting to return to normal for him, Vegeta leered at Buffy. He stepped back into her personal space and grunted as her fist connected with his stomach. He returned her blow with one of his own, saying, "That's it. Get mad and show me how much you can dish out."

Buffy glared at him and punched for his face, willfully forgetting for a moment the rules they had set down. Growling as Vegeta grabbed her fist and brushed it away, she took a step back to recoup, only for him to follow her. "Damn it, Vegeta, I'm starting to get pissed!"

"Good." He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her against the wall. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them to her side in an attempt to immobilize her. He ground his erection into her abdomen and nipped at her earlobe. As she bucked against the wall in an effort to get away, he moaned into her ear, "That is what I wanted you to do that day." He licked the shell of her ear before he kissed her along her jawline, finishing by catching her mouth with his.

When Buffy felt the grip on her wrists released, she threaded her hands into his hair and gave a sharp tug to break their kiss. Looking into his eyes, she said, "There are better ways to deal with your feelings than fighting and sex." 

"If we had the time, we would have done the civil thing and talked about our feelings, but we are quickly running out of it." He grabbed her hips and leaned in for another kiss. Just before he captured her lips, he asked, "Do you trust me enough for me to know what is best for us at this time?"

She hopped up a little, wrapping her legs around his waist. "You better be right."

A smug grin crossed his face. "Sooner or later, you will realize that it's best not to argue with me. I usually win." Wrapping his arms more securely around her, he silenced her protests with a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter before the fight with Cell. I probably won't update again until the whole fight is finished, mostly because I'm not sure where chapter breaks will be, or even of there will be any.
> 
> Here's a warning now: I have the fight planned out. It WILL deviate from canon. No, I won't tell you how much. :)


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Based off Prompt #26: Teammates.  
>  **Long, ramble-y AN:** This is the first of three (so far) chapters dealing with the Cell fight. I allude to instances that happen in the fight, but don't write them all out since I believe the fight is awesome enough without me adding my interpretation to it. The fights between Cell and Goku and Cell and Gohan can be found [here](http://youtu.be/vewFPWn7-TI) and [here](http://youtu.be/vewFPWn7-TI). I realize that what is written might not be your cup of tea, but this was never really meant to be an action story. It's a story about love and friendship. With that said, enjoy the chapter.

**Chapter Eleven**

Buffy burrowed further under the covers, not wanting to wake and get ready. Today was the day reality would come crashing into the little bubble she and Vegeta had been living in for the last two days. She heard Vegeta chuckle as he pulled the blankets off. Looking up and glaring at him, Buffy asked, "Was that really necessary?"

Vegeta dropped the blankets back on the bed. He scooped her up and held her naked form against him. "Since we discussed I would be unable to wake you in a more pleasant fashion, yes, it was necessary." He stood and carried her to the bathroom before depositing her in the shower. "When you are finished, come down and we will breakfast before we leave."

Buffy quickly showered then dressed in a dark blue tank and a pair of comfortable black pants. She hastily slipped into her shoes and hurried down to snatch a little breakfast before it was time to go. She waved to Trunks then hurriedly ate a muffin and drank some juice. Since she and Trunks finished at the same time, she looped an arm through his and led him outside where Vegeta was waiting for them. She gathered Trunks into a hug, telling him, "This won't be appropriate once we reach the ring." She let go of him then grabbed Vegeta and pulled him down for a kiss.

Vegeta gave into the sensations for a moment before pulling away and straightening his armor. He and Buffy had talked about this the night before; they would have one last moment of affection before they had to put away their feelings for one another and concentrate on the fight ahead.

Yamcha and Sixteen joined the trio, with Yamcha making sure to hand Buffy a small bag that Bulma packed specifically for the plan in the hopes the goodies inside would help neutralize Cell and give them a fighting chance. The small group then took flight and flew to the arena.

When Buffy arrived, she was shocked to see Gohan. He had grown to be nearly as tall as her and had cut his hair. She walked up to him and affectionately ruffled his hair as he was talking to his father. When he turned around to her, she caught him up in a hug. "I can't believe how big you've gotten!"

Blushing, Gohan pulled away and tried to put his hair back into place. "Spending time in the chamber can do that to you." He glanced over to where Vegeta was staring at them with a strange look in his eyes. Nudging the blonde, he asked, "Did something happen between you and Vegeta? He's staring over here like someone stole something from him."

Buffy shot a quick glance toward Trunks and motioned for him to contain his father. Turning back to Gohan, she said, "Something did happen between us, but it's nothing that can't be fixed by him chilling out."

"That's something I'd like to see then," came a gruff voice from behind her.

Whirling around, Buffy smiled at her friend before she pulled him into a hug. Planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek, she darted behind Gohan and laughed at the disgusted face Piccolo made as he wiped off his cheek. "The best way to get him to relax can't happen until after we win and are away from prying eyes."

Wrinkling his nose, Piccolo said, "That's something I could have gone a long time without knowing." He looked over to where Trunks was unsuccessfully attempting to corral his father and grinned. Pointing at the scene the two Saiyans were making, Piccolo said, "Seems like you might need to remind him that you are affectionate with friends."

Sighing, Buffy shook her head. More to herself than anyone else, she said, "And here I thought we had worked through most of this." She excused herself from the group and stalked over to where Trunks and Vegeta were squabbling.

Piccolo could barely make out what they were saying, but he was pretty sure Buffy was giving the two men an 'I'm so disappointed in you speech.' He chuckled to himself as he watched her cuff Trunks across the back of the head and dance just out of Vegeta's reach. When Vegeta's second attempt was more successful, Piccolo watched as the other man apologized as he discreetly as possible felt up Buffy. Shaking his head, Piccolo turned away from the display, unsurprised at the glimpse into their relationship.

Looking down at Gohan, he asked, "How did things go for you while I was at the Lookout?"

* * *

Trunks looked away from the scene his father was making, turning his attention to the ring. Cell stood in the middle with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at the group. He saw the bio android's eyes narrow when it's gaze fell upon Buffy. Trunks elbowed Vegeta in the ribs and said, "Cell doesn't know what to make of her."

Buffy took the opportunity to break away from Vegeta and looked at her opponent for the first time. She was unimpressed by it's outward appearance, but could sense some of the power contained within. Fingering the little pouch, she said, "Good. That means we have some element of surprise."

Vegeta watched as Cell's gaze turned into a knowing smirk. Smirking himself, Vegeta added, "The idiot thinks you won't be a challenge."

She rolled her eyes at the obvious glee Vegeta had in his voice. "Not to rain on your parade, but we don't know if the plan will even work."

Trunks chimed in, "But it might. The plan Mother and I came up with should work."

"Should doesn't mean will." Buffy tapped her toes as she went over her mental checklist. Normally, she wasn't 'plan girl', but the spectacular failure of the first plan made her want to believe in this one. "Anyway, we can't get started until there's a distraction of some sort."

A moment after she said that, a news van and a gaudily decorated car pulled up.

* * *

Buffy found it hard to bite back the laugh that was threatening to leave her throat. The so-called 'World's Strongest Man' was pretty laughable with all the boasting he was doing. She had to give the man his due; after all, he was a pretty good distraction.

She had been able to implement step one without too big a hitch. The man had used a sort of flash-bang set up for his entrance, allowing her to throw the capsule containing the nanobots that would, hopefully, shut down Cell's self-defense mechanism. She nearly lost it when the helicopter showed up, but held it together and threw the second capsule after the helicopter flew away in case the other bots were blown away.

After Hercule Satan, as well as his two protegees, had been taken care of, Buffy watched as Goku stepped forward to fight Cell. Her hand disappeared into the little bag, causing her to let out a sigh of relief when her fingertips brushed the edges of the controller. Part of her hated this part of the plan. It was deceitful and playing dirty, but Vegeta reminded her that Cell most likely wouldn't play fair.

After all, Vegeta never did when he was evil.

She watched them fight and waited for the opportunity to present itself. While she waited, she watched Goku take a beating and shrug it off. After both of them finally powered up, she realized something.

She didn't have a fighting chance against Cell.

She didn't doubt that she could have taken him in one of his lesser forms, but not this form.

_'Glad to see we are in agreement about this.'_

Not letting her eyes leave the spectacle before her, Buffy answered, _'I'm just glad we have a plan.'_

_'If I didn't miss my mark, Goku has one as well. I can tell he's tiring, but he hasn't lost that glint to his eye.'_

After a few more punches, Cell was close to Buffy's side of the ring with his back to her. Buffy quickly pressed the button, and felt disbelief when Cell didn't lose any power. She muttered to herself, "Well, that backfired."

She heard Cell and Goku trade blows as she quickly scanned the area. She knew Goku was above using any means necessary; there were lines she would cross before he ever would. However, he did have a history of befriending his enemies and even now she worried about her decision to trust Spike with Dawn's welfare.

Suddenly, Goku stopped, an idiotic grin on his face. He raised his voice loud enough to carry as he shouted, "I can see now that I will never be able to beat you. I can feel my strength waning at a much faster rate than yours. And while I may not be able to defeat you, there is someone here who can."

Cell's laugh echoed throughout the valley the ring was nestled in. It gestured toward the group and asked, "Which one is your champion?" Cell added with a smirk, "Please tell me it's the little blonde woman."

Goku shook his head. "Buffy's seen enough battle to know when she's facing a losing one." He straightened and said, "I'm going to let him know it's his turn."

As Goku flew over to the group, Buffy tried to figure out who he could be talking about. It couldn't be anyone she arrived with; except for possibly Sixteen and only because of the bomb in his chest. When he finally made it over, Buffy figured it out when he touched down in front of Gohan.

"You have got to be kidding me," Trunks said as Goku clasped Gohan's shoulder.

Buffy began frantically looking for the senzu beans she knew _someone_ was carrying. She and Piccolo had talked through different scenarios about what could happen if Goku had been unable to defeat Cell right away. Worse case had Goku doing something monumentally _stupid_ , like giving Cell a bean. She spotted them hanging off Krillin's belt and snatched it before Goku had the chance to ask for it.

Krillin felt the pouch get tugged from his belt and let out a sigh of relief when he saw the pouch clenched in Buffy's hand. He assumed she was holding it so she wasn't accidentally fed one. He frowned when he realized she had a white-knuckled grip on the bag. He placed a hand on her shoulder and asked, "Is something wrong?"

She looked at Krillin and saw the genuine concern in his eyes. She took a deep breath and told him, "Piccolo and I have a theory about what the worst-case scenario would be." She held up the beans and watched Krillin's eyes dart back and forth between the beans, Goku, and Cell. She slowly nodded when she saw Krillin understood. "I'm just making sure Goku doesn't do something he'd end up regretting."

* * *

"You have got to be out of your mind."

Goku smiled at Piccolo's tone. He waited for the other man to settle down a little, then said, "I thought long and hard about this. I knew if I was unable to beat Cell, Gohan would be able to." Insistent, he added, "You didn't see him in the Chamber. He has a hidden well of power just waiting to be released."

Piccolo spied Buffy taking the senzu beans from Krillin. In that moment, he was glad she remembered their conversations about back up plans. He turned back to Goku and said, "He's your son, so I can't stop you, but it had better be his choice."

Piccolo watched Buffy talk to Krillin and saw understanding dawn in the other man's eyes. Glad he had one more fighter on his and Buffy's side, Piccolo moved to let Yamcha know what was going on when Buffy's yell made him jump out of his skin.

"If you think I'm going to let you sweet talk your son into sacrificing himself to save the world, I have no problem knocking some sense into you while you're weak!"

He turned around in time to see Buffy put herself between Goku and Gohan. He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow when she did a fair imitation of Vegeta's growl when Goku tried to get to Gohan.

He shook his head and looked at Cell to see how the bio android was taking the interruption to his games.

The knowing smirk on Cell's face chilled Piccolo to the bone.

* * *

Someone, most likely The Powers That Be, had elected her to be the voice of reason for this whole catastrophe. She had expected Trunks to back her up, but when he only shrugged his shoulders, she realized she was Gohan's only protector in this farce.

She turned to Gohan and gripped his shoulders. She looked him in the eyes and said, "I know what it's like to have the responsibility of the fate of the world pressed upon you before you're ever ready for it. I wish someone had been able to tell me what it really meant to save the world from something most of the world doesn't even have the capacity to understand.

"This is never an easy choice to make. And it's entirely possible you might die no matter how you choose. But _you_ need to base your decision on how _you_ feel, not anyone else." 

She gathered him into a loose hug. She could feel him blushing and knew that he was uncomfortable with the affection, but there was one last thing to say. Pulling away, she said, "If you decide to do this, it has to be all or nothing. I know the power you feel deep inside of you is a scary thing. I know you're worried it could take over, but I promise you, I will never let it win. I will find some way to bring you back to yourself."

Gohan looked up at her, tears in his eyes. "Promise?"

"Absolutely."

He blinked his eyes a few times to get rid of the tears, then pulled away and turned toward the group. As he was about to say he was ready to try, a blur of yellow-green and red flew past the group and pulled Cell into an unbreakable grip. He was unable to heard the android's speech, but he understood enough.

Sixteen was willing to sacrifice itself so Gohan wouldn't have to.

Buffy watched as Sixteen's expression morphed from triumphant to horror and back to triumphant again. Right before Cell was able to get a good grip on Sixteen, the android's joyful tone echoed throughout the valley.

"It worked!"


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Based off Prompt #26: Teammates. Second part of the battle.

** Chapter Twelve **

It took all Buffy had in her not to follow Gohan to the battlefield. She had to have faith in him, but it was hard when all she wanted to do was to protect him. She loved him as much as she loved Dawn and only wanted what was best for him. As she watched him step up to Cell, she asked, "Why does it always have to be the young?"

Piccolo placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze as he answered her. "This has always been part of Gohan's path. Because of plans set into motion before he was ever born, Gohan was born to be stronger than all of us."

"I get that, I really do, but this shouldn't be his fight. It's not fair to ask him to."

Piccolo watched as Gohan took a few blows before finally blocking one. He could tell that Gohan was attempting to reason with Cell and could only shake his head at the sight. "It may not be fair, but it's the only chance we've got."

* * *

"You don't understand what it is you're doing!" Gohan evaded a kick then jumped back from a punch. He drew in a breath and winced at the pain of possibly cracked ribs. He didn't want the power inside him have free reign; there was a reason he had kept it on a tight leash for so long.

"Of course I do. I want to see this power that everyone has been talking about for myself." Cell threw a punch, then another, connecting with the boy's jaw. "Every one of my cells is quivering in anticipation."

"I can't control it! It's like a mindless beast that manages to slip its leash when people I care about get hurt!" Gohan pulled back his fist and slammed it into Cell's face.

Stunned that Gohan had managed to hit it, Cell pulled back and studied the boy for a moment. Quickly narrowing down that Gohan was only able to connect after mentioning caring for people, a weakness if Cell had ever heard one, the android's eyes swung to where the group was standing. Counting the number standing there, Cell said, "Eight should do."

Cell grabbed Gohan and popped out eight mini Cells. Holding onto the boy tightly, Cell called out, "Now my children, kill them. Kill them all!"

As they took off, Cell whispered to Gohan, "You know how to save them. Just do it."

* * *

At this moment, Buffy would have killed for a weapon of some kind.

As the mini-Cells flew toward them, Buffy locked gazes with Vegeta for a moment. She felt grounded by the fierce determination she found there and looked back at the abomination coming toward her.

_'Ready to show them what you're made of?'_

_'Let's go.'_ Buffy felt the familiar sensation of Seimei settling along her limbs. She and Seimei had, after much trial and error, figured out how to tamp down the blood lust that occurred when they needed that extra kick.

Vegeta paused while powering up to watch Buffy. He thought to himself that either Kakarot had taught her how to use the after image technique or she was moving at a speed his eyes were having a hard time keeping track of. He finished powering up and was slightly taken aback at the power that was radiating off her. Her power level was someplace between his and Kakarot's, but closer to his.

"She's not at full power."

Vegeta turned to look at Piccolo and scowled at the grin on the Namekian's face. He had never felt like he needed to be jealous of the time Buffy and Piccolo had spent in the chamber, but now he was having second thoughts. He pushed aside his jealousy to focus on the task at hand and settled for taking it out on the little monsters.

While Vegeta was having his mental crisis, Buffy was having one of her own. While Vegeta had been powering up, Seimei had been slowly chanting one word over and over.

_'Mate.'_

_Mate.'_

_Mate.'_

She didn't have a chance to think it over, so she shoved it out of her mind and focused on beating the problem in front of her.

* * *

Gohan was in awe of the power levels of Trunks, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Buffy. He knew he wouldn't have to worry about them. But he could feel the fear and anger in Cell's grip as the android gripped his arms tighter and tighter.

Yamcha was the first to go down. He was followed by Krillin and Goku. Gohan struggled against his captor's grip in an effort to get to his father.

Cell laughed at Gohan's meager effort. "I told you. Dig deep and let the monster out!"

Sixteen's head was thrown within a few feet of where Gohan and Cell were standing. The android's eyes focused on Gohan. "Gohan, you and I are, at heart, gentle people. Cell is not like us. Words will not sway him. He needs to see the havoc unleashing your power can cause. You have friends that will help you return to yourself.

"Just let go."

Cell scoffed at Sixteen's speech. He let go of Gohan and said, "Pathetic," as he stomped Sixteen's head to tiny bits. With a smirk on its face, Cell turned back to Gohan and asked, "Now, where were we?"

The world exploded around Cell.

* * *

Gohan's surge of power caused everyone to stop and stare. The mini Cells tried taking advantage of the situation by attempting to sucker punch everyone. The five still standing managed to block the hits; Piccolo retaliated by destroying the one attacking him then turning his anger toward the one keeping Goku pinned down.

Vegeta became distracted when he heard Buffy cry out in pain, causing him to get hit by an imitation of one of his own attacks, knocking him to the ground. The little menace managed to hit him with another ki blast, knocking the breath out of him. A lump caught in his throat as he saw the maniacal gleam in the mini Cell's eyes and scrambled to get out of the way.

"Kamehameha!"

Vegeta's eyes widened as he saw the mini Cell Buffy had been fighting flew into the attack path of the one he had been fighting. When the one Buffy had been fighting was vaporized, Vegeta leaped up and took the opportunity to attack.

Buffy sent a silent thanks heavenward as she launched herself at the one attacking Yamcha. She had made a promise to Bulma to keep an eye on him, and that meant not letting him die at the hands of a minion. She aimed a ki blast at it, feeling satisfied when the blast made contact. Unfortunately, the feeling faded when she was attacked by a returning blast.

She was so engrossed in her battle that she didn't see the ease that Gohan used to dispatch the other mini Cells. She fired another ki blast, knocking the little android toward Gohan and watched him fell it in one blow.

Seeing he had everything under control, she began looking around at the injured. Buffy pulled the senzu beans out of the pocket she had stashed them in and began passing them out. She made sure Goku swallowed his and couldn't try any funny business. She saved Vegeta and Trunks for last, keeping both of them by her side as they healed and watched Gohan and Cell battle.

* * *

Gohan took a step back to admire his handiwork. Cell lay on the ground, battered and bruised, softly chuckling to itself. After a moment, and annoyed Gohan said, "It's not funny if you don't explain the joke."

Cell's chuckles turned into laughter. "I'm thinking about the look on your face when I self-destruct and blow this planet to smithereens!" Cell watched Gohan's jaw drop and began to laugh even harder. "It's funnier than I thought!"

Cell started the sequence and frowned when it seemed like the mechanism was misfiring. A feminine chuckle carried down to his ears and he turned his gaze to the group where Trunks was furiously tried to quiet Buffy. When he saw the blonde had made eye contact, her laughter became louder as she clutched her sides and tears streamed down her face. Unamused at the way his day was going, Cell yelled to her, "It's not funny if you don't explain the joke!"

Buffy wiped the tears away as she slowed her breathing. She didn't even know why she was laughing so hard, but chalked it up to stress and to the absurdity that was this entire spectacle. Taking in a lungful of air once she was calmed, she yelled back,"Performance issues are a bitch!"

"What do you mean?"

"The look on your face when you realized your self-destruct was disabled and you can't use it!"

Trunks clapped a hand over her mouth. "Buffy, I don't think it's a good idea to laugh at the megalomaniac," Trunks whispered to her.

Buffy looked back at Cell and became worried at the murderous glare in the bio android's eyes. Cell made a gun with his fingers, pointed it at her, and pulled the 'trigger'.

At the last second, Trunks shoved her out of the way and took the blast in her place. Buffy looked at him and was horrified by the gaping hole in his chest. By the time she made it to his side, Trunks let out one last jittery breath as he died.

She heard Vegeta's bellow of rage as he took off after Cell. Where tears of laughter had been only a few moments ago, now tears of sorrow streamed down her face as he tried to avenge his son with a Final Bang attack. She buried her face in her hands as Cell launched an attack of his own, unwilling to watch Vegeta kill himself.

"Kamehameha!"

Buffy's head jerked up at the sound of Gohan's attack intercepting Cell's. She moved away from Trunks body and watched the dueling beams. She registered Yamcha moving toward Trunks body to keep it safe as she joined Goku and Piccolo to watch the battle. She held her breath as Cell's beam seemed to overtake Gohan's, then she saw the maniacal gleam in Gohan's eyes. In a blink-and-you'd-miss-it moment, Gohan's beam overtook Cell's, turning the bio android into ash and continued until the ash had been vaporized, leaving nothing behind.

She scrambled toward Vegeta and Gohan, grateful that neither had been seriously injured. Buffy knew Vegeta's pride would be smarting, but he would get over it eventually. She tapped Gohan's shoulder and flinched as the boy turned around and growled at her. "Gohan, it's over. You can let go of the power now."

The smile he gave her turned her insides cold. "But it's mine. And no one can take it from me."

The panic welling inside of her made her take a step back as she took in the power-hungry look on his face. And for an instant, she saw a glimmer of the boy she knew shine out in his eyes and knew what she had to do. She reluctantly released the chains she and Seimei had so carefully constructed to keep under control.

_'The minute he comes back to himself, I'm gonna have to let you go.'_

_'I know. Don't worry about me. Piccolo knows what to do if it goes too far.'_

Buffy smiled to herself. _'That he does.'_ She felt wave after wave of power wash over her and knew she was only in control for a short period of time. She had to make that time count.

* * *

Vegeta couldn't take his eyes off her. Buffy seemed to burn with a fire from within and he could feel the power just rolling over her. As her hair whipped around her, he sensed that _this_ was what Piccolo had been talking about earlier that she hadn't been at her peak. He felt the hair on his arms stand on end when an animalistic growl ripped from her throat when her gaze settled on the boy.

_'...I promise you, I will never let it win. I will find some way to bring you back to yourself.'_

He recalled her earlier words to the boy and felt the first tendrils of panic choke his heart. She had always known she had this way to scare him enough to let go of his power. And she knew what a possible price could be for taking this route.

Trunks could be wished back. He wasn't sure if Buffy could.

And in that moment, he was more scared of anything he had ever been scared of before.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Based off Prompt #26: Teammates. Last part of the battle and Trunks going home.

** Chapter Thirteen **

* * *

A few hours after the battle, Buffy woke up and found herself cradled in Vegeta's arms as he sat on the ground of the Lookout. She looked up at him and saw new worry lines etched into his face. She caressed his cheek and said, "Hi."

An exasperated sound escaped Vegeta's lips as he looked at her. "You nearly died and all you can say is 'hi'." He gathered her close and hugged her tightly. "I thought I told you not to do that to me ever again."

She struggled to sit up in his lap and smiled at him. "I never learned how to listen. Just ask Trunks." As soon as the young man's name passed her lips, her expression darkened. Apologizing, she said, "I'm so sorry, Vegeta. I wasn't even thinking. Here I am, happy to be alive and you've—"

Vegeta pressed a hand to her mouth. Softly, he said to her, "He's going to be wished back as soon as Goku gets back with the last dragon ball." He lifted her off his lap and stood before her. He helped her stand and kept his thoughts to himself as he watched her regain her footing. "I'll admit, you managed to do the one thing no one has done before."

She casually wrapped an arm around his waist and asked, "What was that?"

He turned her toward him and captured her mouth in a soft, gentle kiss. He pulled away and looked into her eyes as he said, "For the split second I thought I lost you, you made me wish for my own death."

* * *

A subdued group gathered around the gathered dragon balls, awaiting Goku's return. The mood lightened considerably when Buffy and Vegeta entered the room, and every one got a good look at her shell-shocked expression.

Piccolo broke away from the group and snatched Buffy out of Vegeta's grasp, ignoring the other man's growl of warning. He clasped Buffy, the young woman he considered the sister he had never had, tightly to him and said, "Do anything stupid like that again and I'll—"

Buffy pulled away for him. "Whoa there, tiger. I already got read the riot act from him," she pointed at the scowling Vegeta, "so I don't need to hear it from you, too." She looked over the group and asked, "Where's Gohan?"

A sheepish voice broke out from in the middle of the crowd, "I'm here."

Buffy ran up to him and pulled him into a hug. She pulled away and looked him over. When she saw he was relatively unharmed, and had lost the predatory look to his eyes, she let out a sigh of relief. "Back to being Gohan then?"

Gohan ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. I managed to have a talk with Seimei about power, too."

Buffy stilled for a moment. "What do you mean, you 'managed to have a talk with Seimei'?"

Grinning at her, Gohan clasped her hand and could feel the current of power that constantly hummed under Buffy's skin. "She and I talked while she was in control. She told me you wouldn't remember anything right away, but that's not important. She and I decided that I need to have more control, so I'm gonna spend time learning how to and how not to be so afraid of it."

_'A little fear is a healthy thing, young one.'_

Buffy wondered at how such a connection could have been made, then decided it was one of those things that happened while she was unconscious. "So, will either of you tell me what happened during our small skirmish?"

_'Of course.'_

Then Seimei and Gohan told Buffy what happened after Buffy powered up.

* * *

An inhuman growl ripped from Buffy's throat as her gaze cleared and settled on Gohan. She could see the defiance reappear in the boy's manner and was having a hard time holding on to herself. But she knew that this was a risk; it was always a risk when someone else was in the driver's seat.

The aura around her disappeared and her eyes took on an odd flat shine. She cocked her head to the side and as she studied Gohan, a crooked smile appeared on her face. "I'd forgotten how wonderful fear smelled." She straightened and walked over to the boy, her glance trailing along the ground where Cell had been obliterated. The voice coming out of Buffy's mouth was lower pitched as it said, "And you reek of it, young one."

A tremble overtook Gohan as he stood face-to-face with whatever it was that was in control of Buffy's body. He attempted to clamp down his fear as he said, "I'm not afraid." He raised his chin and looked into Buffy's eyes. "I don't have to be. I just defeated Cell. I could defeat you."

A chuckle erupted from Buffy's mouth. "You? Defeat me? Oh, little boy, you have no idea who you are talking to." Seimei/Buffy began a slow walk around Gohan. "Do you know why I was called into a young girl and not a man?" She stopped and looked up at the ridge where the others were standing in disbelief. She gave a jaunty little wave to everyone, minus Vegeta. She blew him a kiss.

"Women learn from a young age how to use the fear they live with. Would you like to know how much Buffy is afraid right now?"

Gohan swallowed against the lump in his throat, slowly becoming more afraid of this creature that looked like his friend, but wasn't. "No, but Buffy doesn't get afraid."

"Wrong." Seimei cupped her hands together, slowly gathering energy. "Right now she's terrified. She's afraid that I won't let her take back control and she's afraid of her feelings about _him_. But what she's most afraid of is that since I'm in control, I get to make the life or death decisions. And right now—unless you can convince me otherwise—I'm leaning toward death."

She took two steps back from Gohan, continuing to gather her power. "You see, Saiyans could learn a thing or two from me. I have no emotions or entanglements. Once this shell dies, I will move on to another and another until the end. But you have a choice. Let go of that power and learn how to use your fear or I _will_ destroy you. Then I will destroy this shell."

Gohan's aura slowly lost its spark as his mouth hung open in shock at Seimei/Buffy's words. Tears slowly dripped down his face. "You would let Buffy die, just to see me finished?"

She transferred the power so she was holding it in only one hand. She gently caressed his cheek with one hand.

_'I would let myself die before I would ever let you turn into a monster.'_

Gohan jerked back out of her grasp and looked her over. With a weary sigh, he abruptly let go of his power, collapsing backward onto the ground. He raised his head to look at the woman before him, glaring at her when she only looked at him. "You need to let go now."

A raspy chuckle escaped her throat. "I'm not so willing to let go once I take control." A feral grin overtook her features. "I don't get to come out and play very often. So while Buffy is out, there is something I need to rectify."

Buffy's body took up into the sky and flew over to where the group was standing. She landed in front of Vegeta and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Before she gets control again, there is something I need to let you know."

Vegeta stayed still as he felt the power rolling over the both of them. "I don't care what it is as long as she comes back."

She clicked her tongue at him and pulled him closer. Leaning over, she whispered into his ear, "No matter what will happen, you are _ours_. No matter where or when, you will _never_ be able to escape us." She turned to look at the Namekian and said, "Now, Piccolo. Her life force has begun to fade."

Piccolo fished a senzu bean out of the pouch and placed it between her teeth. At the sound of her teeth biting down, he suddenly found himself with an armful of Goku. He pulled his friend away and said, "She'll be fine. Let the bean work."

She swallowed the bean and felt the imbalance slowly begin to correct itself. As Vegeta's arms tightened around her to keep her upright, she tightened her arms around him one last time and pressed her lips against his. She pulled away at the last second and looked into his eyes as she said, "Mine," before passing out in his arms.

* * *

"And ever since Seimei is back where she belonged, we've been able to talk to each other like you and she can," Gohan finished as he handed Buffy something to eat.

The blonde accepted the bowl gratefully and slowly began eating, not paying attention to the contents. She leaned back into Vegeta's chest—he had insisted that she sit on his lap—and let a sort of contentment wash over her. They had survived, and now she would find out what it was like to be with this maddening man without the specter of death hanging over their heads.

Vegeta let his nose drop into her hair and breathed in her scent, a reminder that she was still alive and with him. He ignored the conversation between her and Gohan as he kept an eye on his son's body. He had much to tell the boy, beginning with how proud of him he was.

* * *

Goku finally arrived with the last dragon ball and Shenron was called.

Those killed by Cell were resurrected. Buffy leaped out of Vegeta's lap as soon as Trunks began twitching, only to be stopped when his hand snapped out and grabbed her pant leg. He looked up at her and said, "I have no problem seeing you with no pants, but you really should give Trunks a chance to get his bearings. Resurrection is disorienting."

Buffy sat back down and waited for Trunks to shake off his residual grogginess, while Vegeta watched. After a minute, Trunks sat up and looked at his armor, slowly tracing where the beam had punched through it. He then looked up and saw both his father and Buffy staring at him. A grin lit up his face as he made his way over to them.

Buffy opened her arms wide and said, "Congrats! We're the welcome back to life committee. Now give us a hug for scaring us."

Trunks looped his arms around both of them and sighed as Buffy hugged him back. He looked up from her shoulder when he felt another pair of arms circle him. Catching his father's gaze, he saw the slight sheen of tears that gathered in the other man's eyes and began chocking up himself.

Vegeta let go and gently pried Buffy's arms from around Trunks. "Let him breathe a little. He's had an awful shock." When she began sniffling, he turned her into his shoulder and let her just cry. As Buffy cried, Vegeta grabbed his son's hand and pulled him down to sit next to them. He gave it a small squeeze, then said, "What you did was worthy of a Saiyan. I'm proud of you son."

Speechless, Trunks sat there, his hand clasped in his father's with the sound of Buffy's cries ringing in his ears.

* * *

"Nice hickey, Buffy."

Buffy scowled and looked for the nearest shiny surface to examine her neck in. Sure enough, there was a quarter-sized bruise on her throat just below her ear. She looked back at a grinning Trunks and narrowed her eyes. "That is entirely your father's fault."

"Don't let her fool you. She was begging for it."

Buffy whipped around and saw a nearly identical grin on Vegeta's face. She shook her head before she walked over to Vegeta and gave him a once over. She touched a new bruise that was forming on his jawline. "Gohan get in a lucky punch?"

Vegeta's grin widened. "No. He managed to hit the target he was aiming for. He's still afraid of injuring me, so he pulled away at the last second." He grabbed her hip and pulled her toward him. He stole a kiss, gently applying pressure in order to get her to part her mouth under his. When she complied, a soft moan escaped, and Vegeta pulled away. Pointedly, he looked at Trunks and said, "I think you are needed elsewhere. I'm sure your mother could use some help."

Blushing, Trunks looked away and said, "I think that's a good idea. The party's supposed to be starting soon."

As soon as the young man left the room, Buffy linked her arms around Vegeta's neck. She felt his growing arousal against her stomach and let out a small laugh. "I would think with all we did last night, you'd still be tired out."

Vegeta was pleased by the yelp of surprise Buffy let out as he swung her up into his arms. He carried her to their bedroom—they had moved in together as soon as they had returned from the Lookout—and set her on the bed once they arrived. He rose and shut and locked the door before stripping to the skin. He strode over to her and quickly undressed her, dropping open-mouthed kisses across every inch of skin he exposed.

Once Buffy was completely naked, Vegeta sat back on his heels and admired her form. His fingers trailed over the golden skin as he said, "I don't think we will tire of one another until the day we die."

* * *

Buffy had made it her mission for this to be the best going away party ever thrown. Between her and Bulma, they had rung promises from all the boys to behave. She danced with nearly everyone, laughing when Vegeta started to become territorial.

Piccolo cornered her at one point in the evening and asked how she was doing.

"I'm doing fine. I'm riding on this high that I know I'll be coming down from when Trunks leaves, so I'm going to just enjoy it. Call me Enjoyment Buffy."

A smile appeared on Piccolo's face. "Well, Enjoyment Buffy, I wanted to let you know that if you ever need to get away, I have a room at the Lookout you're welcome to use if you need a break."

"I'll keep that in mind." Her gaze traveled over the party, stopping when she saw Vegeta holding the infant version of his son. The nearly-imperceptible smile on Vegeta's face as he talked with Bulma made Buffy smile. She turned back to Piccolo. "I'll be sure to come visit you soon. But you're here now and you're going to dance with me."

Piccolo waved his hands in front of him and sank farther into the corner. "There's a reason I've never danced before. I'm terrible."

"C'mon, live a little." She held out her hand to him. "What've you got to lose?"

A hand other than Piccolo's grabbed Buffy's and drew her away from the Namekian. "Don't worry, Piccolo. I'll save you from her."

Buffy looked into Trunks smiling face and pouted. "He's the only one I haven't managed to dance with yet. I even danced with that letch Roshi."

Trunks dragged her onto the makeshift dance floor and swung her in a slow circle. He held her close as they danced slowly danced. "I wanted to ask you something, but over the past three days you've hardly been alone."

"Me scaring your father witless might have something to do with that."

"That it might." He pulled away a little when he caught Vegeta's glare of warning. "What I wanted to ask you is how should I go about getting your—the other you, that is—attention?"

Buffy smiled. "Easy. As soon as you land and assure your mother that you're alright, walk up to the other Buffy, tell her you're legal and wait to see what happens. Worse case scenario, she turns you down."

"Ah, the direct approach. I like it." He glanced over to where his father was standing and noticed the other man's scowl. "I think our dance is going to be interrupted soon."

Buffy looked at Vegeta and shot him a glare, hoping he would get the message. When he smirked back at her in return, she turned back to Trunks and said, "I think you're right. Who could ever understand what goes through his head?"

"I'm pretty sure he's your problem now," Trunks said as they spun around one last time. By the time their circle was completed, Vegeta was standing behind Trunks, waiting for his son to relinquish his partner. Trunks kissed Buffy on the cheek before he handed her over. He looked at Vegeta and said, "Make sure you take care of her."

"I can take care of myself!" Buffy said as Vegeta hauled her into his arms, ignoring the smiles on both of their faces. She squirmed against Vegeta's embrace, huffing when she couldn't break free. She turned around to look at him and said, "You can let me go now."

Vegeta's grip tightened as he pressed her closer to him. He looked over at Trunks and said, "Please give everyone our apologies. It seems Buffy and I have business to take care of."

Trunks snickered as he watched Buffy begin to struggle in earnest. He waved them off. "If you don't make a scene I'll pass it along."

He watched his father toss Buffy over his shoulder and began laughing in earnest when he heard her yell, "Damn it, Vegeta! You can't just take me away every time you get the urge!"

* * *

Trunks stood outside the time machine, going over his last minute checklist. Once all of his supplies were accounted for, he turned to Bulma and Yamcha giving both of them a hug. He ruffled his younger counterpart's hair and said, "Take good care of him. I can promise he'll grow up to be a handful."

"I'm sure he will," Bulma said with a grin. "If things go as well as I hope, soon you won't be the only one."

Trunks smiled back. "I'm glad to hear that. I always wanted siblings." He caught sight of Buffy and Vegeta walking up to join them for the send off. "Although, I fully expect some to come from them first."

"We'll see." Bulma handed Yamcha little Trunks and reached for her son's hand. She clasped it tightly as she said, "I know I won't be able to hear from you anytime soon, but if you're able to get a chance, could you let us know how things are for you?"

Trunks brushed some hair away from her forehead and planted a kiss on the exposed skin. "Of course, Mother." He then reached out and snagged Buffy with his free hand and pulled her close. "I'll do the same for you, Buffy."

She smiled and pulled both him and Bulma into a big hug. "I'm glad. Just don't take too many risks. I'm sure the other me would kick your ass if you did."

Trunks pulled away, a light blush covering his cheeks. "I'm sure she would too." He looked over to where Vegeta and Yamcha were talking. "Make sure you take care of him. I know he doesn't look like he needs it, but those are the ones who need it most."

Buffy looked over at Vegeta and caught his gaze, not surprised to see the look of loss that crossed his features when his eyes slid over his son. "I know what you mean." She turned back to Trunks and said, "He's going to mourn you when you're gone and he's going to try to mold little you into the man you are now."

Trunks looked a little horrified at the prospect. "Please don't let him. I like who I am, but the little guy needs to be a kid."

Buffy smiled at him and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on both of them."

Trunks looked at his watch and sighed. "It's time for me to go. Take care."

Vegeta walked over and clasped Trunks hand in his as he shook it in goodbye. "Take care of those androids, son."

A wry smile crossed Trunks face at the affection his father was bestowing upon him. "I will." He pulled away and climbed into the time machine. He hit the controls that would take him back to his time and looked at his family one last time and felt his eyes begin to tear up as he watched his mother and Buffy tear up as he blinked out of time.

* * *

Buffy brushed at the tears that had run down her face then turned to Bulma and slung an arm around her friend. "You did such a good job with him."

"I did, didn't I?" Bulma returned the half-hug. She wiped at her own eyes and cleared her throat. "Now that things are starting to settle down, have you given any thought as to what you want to do?"

Buffy smiled and steered Bulma back toward the compound. "Actually I have. I just wanted to run a few ideas by you since you know Chi-Chi better than I do."

Yamcha watched the two women walk back toward the building and chuckled to himself. He turned to Vegeta and said, "She's got plans for you."

Vegeta looked toward the two woman and spied Buffy looking back at him with a glint in her eye. He smirked at her and said to Yamcha, "I guess it's only fair since I have plans for her as well."


End file.
